2001-11-27
Madam Speaker Braham took the Chair at 10 am.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I table the Administrative Arrangements Order which was published in the Northern Territory Gazette dated 13 November 2001.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, pursuant to the provision of Standing Order 12, I lay on the Table my warrant nominating the members to be Deputy Chairmen of Committees.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition not conforming with standing orders from 554 petitioners relating to drug addiction. I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
1. treat addiction as a medical condition;
Northern Territory, eg, naltrexone, buprenorphine trials, methadone withdrawals
over an extended time, depending on clients needs, approximately one year;
without prejudice;
support for addicted mothers;
a secure drug free environment to stay while they re-establish themselves in the community;
12. this is Jessie’s wish.
Mr CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100(a), I inform honourable members that a response to petition No 1 has been received and circulated to honourable members. The text of the response will be included in the Parliamentary Record.
Petition No 1
Container Deposit Legislation
Date petition presented: 17 October 2001
Presented by: Mr Reed
Response:
this matter before considering the implementation of such a scheme.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move the sessional order relating to ministerial reports passed on 16 October 2001 be amended to read as follows:
1. On each sitting day after Notices, ministers may make reports on matters relating to the government of the
Northern Territory and relating to policy, decisions or actions, proposed decisions, actions or matters of
public interest.
member may speak, except that the minister who made the statement may reply to the matters raised. The
minister’s reply shall not exceed one minute.
question that ministerial reports be noted, which question shall be put without further debate or amendment.
It is straight forward, it is self-explanatory. I think it replicates, in essence, the form of a major ministerial statement. It time frames it very tightly so it is, in fact, a mini-ministerial statement giving the opposition the right to respond to the issue raised, albeit a very brief right of reply, which they may choose to exercise or not depending on the issue and what was said. I do think it brings us closer to debate in the House, albeit in that mini and fairly highly restricted form. I would urge support of the motion.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the government for showing some consideration to the need for the opposition to participate in response to the statements that are made during this first period of the parliamentary day.
Could I also thank you, Madam Speaker, for your efforts in this regard, in ensuring that these changes were made. I would ask the question of the Leader of Government Business that when it comes to ministerial statements - both the short statements and the longer statements that occur later in the day - the procedure to date is that the opposition is only being given one e-mail copy which arrives in my office about 6 o’clock at night. It has always been the process in the past that hard copies were distributed to all the members of the opposition, to their individual offices, or in bulk to the Leader of the Opposition’s office. I would ask the Leader of Government Business if he could ensure that that occurs. I also ask, in respect of these short ministerial statements, as they are of five minutes - for the opposition to respond effectively within two minutes, that a similar procedure should apply whereby the opposition is afforded hard copies of those statements prior to the parliamentary day.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Picking up a couple of points from the Leader of the Opposition, I appreciate that in most cases the government did provide a hard copy of a ministerial statement to be delivered the next day, but that was in the context of a ministerial statement coming right on the top of Question Time at 11 o’clock.
Ministerial statements, under our procedures in the House, are now the last item of Government Business following process of everything else that is on the Notice Paper, including legislation. It is very clearly our intent that that is the major business of this parliament, so it is probably more likely four or five in the afternoon before a minister would be delivering a ministerial statement. Notwithstanding that, we will always endeavour to get a hard copy across to the opposition at the earliest opportunity.
In relation to the ministerial statements, given that they are brief, our intent is that they be newsworthy, they be contemporary. It could be that it is something that has just happened. We want to trial it this way; we are prepared to be innovative and to change the way we do things in the House, to meet the standing orders and procedures of the House and quality of debate. Again, if we come back in February and it has not worked, I am prepared to look at it again and talk with the opposition on any shortcoming that they see.
Madam SPEAKER: Members, I am pleased that there has been agreement reached regarding ministerial reports and, yes, I would encourage the government to distribute copies of ministerial statements not just to the opposition, but to the backbenchers as soon possible, so that people can prepare their replies in advance.
Motion agreed to.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Auditor-General’s report to the Legislative Assembly of the Analysis of the 2000-01 Treasurer’s Annual Financial Statement.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Motion agreed to.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the Economic Development Summit held in this Assembly from 4 to 6 November was based on the objective of building a better Territory for ourselves and our children. We wanted to find answers to our challenges through partnerships with a broadly representative group of Territorians. This inclusive approach will be a hallmark of my government.
The summit was not just about the forum in this Assembly, though. Regional participation included more than 300 Territorians attending the five community forums held across the Territory a week before the summit itself, broadening the government/community partnership through increased participation.
The summit set out to:
bring together industry, business and community representatives to obtain views and help set
strategies for the economic development of the Territory;
generate issues that will influence the work of the Territory Business Round Table and the Office
of Territory Development, in particular, and all government agencies;
indigenous organisations, to work together for the Territory’s future prosperity; and
to build business and community confidence in the future development of the Territory by being part of
defining that future.
The summit was important in the framing of the mini-budget. I am pleased to report to the Assembly the success of the summit in meeting its objectives, as outlined in the final communiqu. It has been widely praised. I record before this Assembly my government’s commitment to building on this successful outcome.
I was particularly pleased to see the dialogue between indigenous and non-indigenous Territorians promoting, as it did, a new understanding of each other’s perspectives. I saw a commitment to work together to build new economic opportunities for the Territory, not the least of which is commitment to indigenous economic development.
I now want to report to the Assembly the progress to date since the summit. The government has:
committed to a partnership approach for the economic development strategy;
with a full-time coordinator to be employed;
consultations underway to ensure development is in line with business and community views;
office rental needs in a way that will provide certainty to developers and building owners;
skills requirements and the delivery of training services, the intellectual infrastructure to complement
ports, railways and gas manufacturing provinces;
restructuring of the Northern Territory Public Service leading to this process; and
and Resource Development and the Gas Task Force involving business and community representatives,
to review the atest position on Timor Sea gas and discuss actions that need to be taken to overcome
current difficulties in the onshore exploitation of the resource.
I would like to mention in this report some key aspects of our economic future, important to our job creation strategy, that is the prime reason for pursuing economic development:
the development of a gas manufacturing province in the Top End, including benefits for local service
and supply industries;
Precinct in the Centre, tropical knowledge and energy research and development;
around the new infrastructure of the railway and the East Arm Port; and
In conclusion, I want to thank you, Madam Speaker, for allowing the Assembly and its facilities to be used for the summit. I commend the staff of the Legislative Assembly for their skill and expertise in facilitating the summit led by the Clerk, Ian McNeill. I also want to thank all of those who participated in the summit, including the organising committee capably led by my colleague, the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development; the co-chairs Bob Collins and Neville Walker; the keynote speakers and delegates; the invited observers and staff who made it such a valuable and resounding success.
My government is richer for the generous contributions of all these people, and so is the Territory. We are committed to move quickly to implement the outcomes of the Economic Development Summit.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, if there was ever a ministerial statement that I expected to be issued in this Chamber, it would have been with regard to the Economic Development Summit. I would have thought that would have been a full ministerial statement, rather than a ministerial report of five minutes. I guess one could be cynical and say if that is all the Economic Development Summit rated in your government’s opinion, so be it.
I will applaud the government for bringing together a wide range of Territorians to discuss very important issues that affect all of us in the Northern Territory, particularly how we are going to provide some kick-start to this economy, to respond to the business needs that are out there. It was a summit that I was quite happy to be involved in. It was pleasing to move around those Territorians who were involved and to hear the issues that they raised which, as I said, in terms of the communiqu and the priority issues that came out of the summit, they would be no different from something that a CLP government would push forward with, and push forward with vigorously.
The issue that I was surprised dropped straight off the radar screen right at the outset of the summit was the issue of native title. It was a unique opportunity to deal with issues of native title, particularly as it was clear in the summit that the hold-up of availability of land right throughout the Northern Territory is of great concern to Territorians generally. There was, sadly, only lip service paid to that issue.
In terms of the priorities that came out of the summit from the communiqu, these are CLP initiatives, and CLP initiatives that we have pushed strongly. It is the now Chief Minister who foisted the redevelopment of Stokes Hill Wharf with some pride and is quite quick now to go down there and point to that as being a very important development for the Northern Territory, something which she quite cynically derided as unnecessary whilst she was in opposition. I am glad to see that the government has seen the light. I am concerned that they are going to spend 12 months of consultation with the community on something that was consulted with quite …
Ms Lawrie: You wouldn’t know what it means.
Mr BURKE: There is a cat in here that keeps squealing whenever I get up to speak. Put it back in its bag.
Madam SPEAKER: The member’s time has expired.
Mr BURKE: I applaud the government in a general sense for the initiatives from that summit.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I welcome the Leader of the Opposition’s positive comments and my very positive comments as well. This is about inclusive government and if we are going to define the difference between this new Labor government and the previous CLP administration, it is all about inclusiveness and partnerships. The summit, very proudly and very effectively, recognised that partnerships are the way of the future, particularly partnerships in indigenous economic development and access to land. They were some of the key issues to emerge.
I am very proud of the outcome of the summit and I genuinely thank all those involved. I thank the opposition for their involvement as well. When it comes down to moving on initiatives that perhaps the CLP talked about in the past, the difference will be that we will do it, rather than simply talk about it.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Madam Speaker, I wish to update the House on recent events leading to the grant of mineral exploration licences in the southern part of the Territory, and the use by the Northern Territory of the expedited Native Title Act procedure.
Dr Burns: It is an issue.
Mr HENDERSON: It is an issue. Native title affects land which is predominantly pastoral lease land. Pastoral leases comprise approximately 45% of the area of the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory seeks to apply the expedited procedure for the processing of most exploration titles on pastoral leases. This is due to the relatively benign impact, and flexible nature of the exploration activities, and the brief period of time that most explorers spend on the land. The Native Title Act criteria for seeking use of the expedited process is that the activities on the land are: unlikely to interfere with significant sites; have a minimal impact on community activities; or do not cause major disturbance to the land.
The expedited procedure provides a potentially more efficient process for the grant of exploration titles. However, as with all Native Title Act procedures, it is a resource-intensive process and one that we are working cooperatively, in terms of the native title holders and the mining companies, to find a way through this. In utilising the expedited procedure, the Northern Territory has taken measures to accommodate the concerns of native title parties. A set of conditions of grant for exploration licences has been developed and will be applied to exploration licences where there has been no objection to the expedited process, or an objection has been withdrawn. I table a copy of those conditions.
On Monday 5 November, I announced that I approved a grant of 62 exploration licences in the southern half of the Territory. In addition, 50 exploration licences have been granted as a result of indigenous land use agreements having been entered into between mining companies and the Central Land Council. This is good news for the mining industry and the Territory generally. To date, 150 applications for exploration licences, mainly in the Central Land Council region, have progressed without objection. Some of these titles have previously been granted and, as I announced recently, a further 62 are approved for grant.
This is the single largest grant of exploration licences since native title came into effect, covering 40 000 km of land in the Central Australian region. More exploration licences, as they become eligible for grant, will also be granted. The Central Land Council has sought to avoid much of the formal right to negotiate process. However, in choosing not to object to the grant of exploration licences, the Central Land Council has not forfeited the opportunity to seek agreements with exploration licence applicants on behalf of native title holders. Rather, they have strategically used the notification time frames as a period in which they can focus on reaching good neighbour agreements outside of the formal process, and I applaud the CLC on that initiative.
As members can see, this is an approach that works, and it is a win for everyone: the explorers obtain granted exploration titles; the native title parties’ rights are protected, and they will obtain flow on benefits from exploration expenditure; and the Northern Territory as a whole will benefit by the commencement of exploration activity.
I urge all parties to assist in making the Native Title Act expedited procedures work, and where there are genuine differences or concerns about exploration activities, for the parties to actively communicate.
I also table a map that shows the grant of exploration licences and exploration licence applications on all forms of land tenure within the Northern Territory for members’ interest. It is a priority of this government to develop the mineral potential of the Northern Territory and to ensure all Territorians share the benefits. These objectives are consistent with those expressed during the recent Economic Development Summit. The government is committed to obtaining land access on a fair and equitable basis for the benefit of all parties. Again, I urge all parties to cooperate in achieving this goal.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I rise to comment in relation to this, and I begin by congratulating the new government for opening up a few opportunities. The problem that I have here is that I am not entirely clear what opportunities have been opened up, what work will be created for the native title holders of the land, and the like. The problem that we have with the current system is that we have just had a piece of paper tabled on which I am supposed to respond. I have no idea of what has been tabled here, so it is very difficult to respond. I remind the government of the Leader of the Opposition’s comments earlier that it is very difficult to respond to these mini-ministerial statements.
The other thing is that I am very concerned that something of this importance to the Northern Territory, and it is of fundamental importance - it has been one of the real sticking points in the Northern Territory - has been once again covered in a mini-ministerial statement, when it should have been subject to a full ministerial statement.
From the little that I have been able to glean from the comments by the minister, essentially what I understand has happened here is that the minister has described a situation where, effectively, a double veto now exists on the part of the native title holders. What does the minister anticipate will be the consequences of this ability to create a situation where there is a double veto? How will it affect investment? Will it frighten investors away? How many jobs is it going to create for the native title holders themselves?
The other thing is that the minister referred to ILUAs but, once again, he has made no reference to what the terms of those ILUAs are. Territorians have every right to know, both indigenous and non-indigenous, what the terms of those ILUAs are.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for the general terms of the comments, that at least we have moved forward. We have actually moved through the log jam that the previous government imposed, for base political purposes, in terms of getting explorers onto land. We all say in this parliament that we want to generate economic activity, that we want exploration to take place, that we want subsequent mining operations to be developed.
We are not going to develop those mining operations with the investment and the jobs they create unless we get people access to land. The previous government sat for three years on a stockpile of 900 exploration licences. We have moved immediately to work cooperatively with the land councils on behalf of Aboriginal people in partnership with them and the mining companies to start moving through this log jam.
I commend the CLC in terms of adopting this very pragmatic attitude. We are working with the Northern Land Council to achieve the same outcome. It just goes to show that you can have progress - 40 000 km of land now available for exploration activity. It is a win-win situation. There is a lot more work to do and the government will continue to pursue those options.
Mr AH KIT (Housing): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to announce today that the government has made two very important decisions in relation to the supply of housing in Alice Springs. The experience in Darwin with Coconut Gove, Tambling Terrace and the Leanyer Seniors Village shows that, given the choice, many seniors will choose to move to purpose-built seniors accommodation. This, in turn, frees up three-bedroom accommodation.
Appropriate land for such a development is scarce in Alice Springs, but the government has identified that the Gillen House site is appropriate for such a development. It is proposed to build an 18-unit seniors village on the Gillen House site at a cost of approximately $2.3m, which will be completed in September 2002.
Three-bedroom accommodation waiting times in Alice Springs rose quite sharply in the 12 months to September 2001, due to a number of factors. Although three-bedroom accommodation waiting times peaked in September and have dropped slightly since then, it is desirable to take further action to reduce them.
An analysis of public housing in Alice Springs shows that there is not a shortage of three-bedroom housing but, rather, there are a significant number of three-bedroom houses occupied by senior singles and couples whose children have grown up and left home. The development of a purpose-built seniors village in Alice Springs is not only designed to free up three-bedroom homes. It will provide a popular style of accommodation for seniors in our society where there is an enhanced quality of life in the strengthening of community ties and support. Services to the site will need to be reconfigured to accommodate the seniors village development.
The advantages of the Gillen House site for a development of this nature are that it is close to Territory Health Services in the Flynn Street Community Health Centre and close to public transport routes, shops and parklands. Residents in the area will be informed about the proposed developments via notices and a public meeting will be held, if necessary, prior to the application being lodged. Of course, the department will consult with the Council on the Ageing in relation to the design and layout of the development.
What is important to emphasise is that quality of life and the delivery of services is what this government is all about. That is why we have also been concerned to ensure that the disposal of the Cawood Court site is progressed in a manner that will maximise benefits for the community. Unfortunately, there have been a few myths circulating about the government’s decision to sell Cawood Court, and I would like to set the story straight. Cawood Court will be sold by tender to a private developer. This will free up a significant amount of money to be spent on public housing in Alice Springs. The previous government said they would demolish Cawood Court. This would have cost a lot of money. Even with the sale of housing blocks, it would have meant a zero return; no money to be put back into housing in Alice Springs.
Selling the site will raise about $1m which will be reinvested in housing in Alice Springs. Public expressions of interest will be sought to develop the site. One of the assessment criteria will be that the development must significantly enhance the site and improve the general amenity of the area. Transfer of title will be conditional on fulfilment of these criteria.
The sale of Cawood Court will not flood the Alice Springs unit market. The vacancy rate for houses and units in Alice Springs is 1.5%, and unit rents have risen over the last 12 months. Unit sale volumes and prices also rose significantly over the last 12 months, so private redevelopment of the Cawood Court site will make a timely contribution to the level of private housing stock in Alice Springs, and it will provide the government with valuable resources for reinvestment in public housing in Alice Springs.
I know that those who have a genuine concern about the provision of public housing in Alice Springs will welcome these developments. It is a demonstration of this government’s commitment to place a priority on the delivery of services.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, in making some comments, I congratulate the government for thinking about the Gillen House site. I believe it is a good decision and I welcome that. It is also situated across the road from the Flynn Drive Green Street Development and I think that it will fit in very nicely - including the proximity of the site to the community health centre and the shopping centre around the corner.
Let me bring the minister back a little to consider some of the issues he mentioned. I am glad to see that he has considered and alternative site in Alice Springs. Obviously, it is very important to ensure that our senior Territorians in Alice Springs have a seniors village. But the Cawood Court site was also dedicated for that, plus had he demolished Cawood Court he would have released residential land in Alice Springs. By selling Cawood Court to a private developer, all you are doing is converting those units to more units, nothing more. You are maintaining the density of the area; you have not improved the amenity of the Cawood Court complex nor the other surrounding high-density complexes.
Cawood Court needs to be demolished also to allow R1 residential land to be released in town. Without that, you would not further progress the construction industry in Alice Springs. Remember, also, with Cawood Court, if you sold it to a private developer all you are doing is increasing the number of units that are already available to be sold in Alice Springs. They are having trouble selling units in Alice Springs. Sure, the rental properties are down, but not the availability of units to be sold.
I welcome the government’s plan to use the Gillen House site for a development, and I look forward to more development at Cawood Court.
Mr AH KIT (Housing): Madam Speaker, I accept the congratulations of the Shadow Minister for Housing. The information that we received is exactly what I stated. We are not about flooding the market. Obviously, people in the real estate industry will maintain that position so that it suits them. We have done our homework. You are the ex-Minister for Housing. The information came from the Housing Department that our approach and this government’s consideration of how we are going to resolve the Cawood Court situation is the right path to go down. I am glad that there is support from the members from Alice Springs in regards to what we propose to do with the pensioner situation on the Gillen House site.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I, too, welcome your announcement of a seniors village. It is good news.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
Madam SPEAKER: Members, I advise that I have given permission for various media to broadcast with sound and vision the Chief Minister’s statement, and the Northern Territory News to take photographs of the Chief Minister.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I present the November 2001 Mini-Budget Statement to this parliament. The mini-budget is a milestone in public administration as it places the Territory’s finances on the most important path of fiscal sustainability, a path the Territory has wavered from in recent years. In achieving fiscal sustainability, however, the priorities for government spending have been reset, and the initiatives outlined in Labor’s election platform have been implemented.
When my government first came to power, Territorians were unaware of the parlous state of the Territory’s finances. At the first briefing I received from Treasury, as Chief Minister and Treasurer, I was advised that the budget was unsustainable. As honourable members are well aware, this was devastating news to Territorians and the new government, and we immediately commissioned an independent expert to advise us on the full state of the Territory’s finances, the reasons for that position, and to suggest solutions. Professor Allan confirmed Treasury’s advice. He recommended that a deficit reduction strategy be implemented immediately and a range of financial reforms be adopted in order to promote improved fiscal management practices. That has been done.
The alternative was to continue to send Territorians further and further into debt, with consequent cuts to core services and their priorities overturned by the demands of financiers. This mini-budget is the product of three months intensive work by the Cabinet, the public sector, and the many parts of the community with whom we have consulted. As a result, the government has been able to develop a fiscally-sustainable plan for this, our first term of government. We have taken on board the important and valuable contributions provided by the Economic Development Summit.
The mini-budget incorporates Labor’s election commitments and reorders government spending to increase the priority given to the essential areas of health, education and law enforcement services.
Considerable assistance is provided to the construction industry this year: an additional $8.7m for capital works and a further $6m for repairs and maintenance expenditure. As an additional stimulus to our construction sector, QuickStart will be reinstated from tomorrow. QuickStart II will operate under the same guidelines as previously and will continue until 31 January 2002. The extension of the scheme at this critical time will boost residential construction and help keep construction workers in the Territory. The estimated cost is $1.5m. QuickStart II is timed to take maximum advantage of the Commonwealth’s extension of its First Home Owners Grant, and should mean that there is a greater take-up of the scheme than had it been extended at a later time.
Importantly, the mini-budget incorporates a deficit reduction strategy designed to get the budget in surplus by 2004-05. This substantial turnaround in the Territory’s finances has not been achieved through a policy of slash and burn. It is the result of careful reallocation and re-balancing of the priorities across government. The mini-budget does not cut expenditure. Rather, the growth in expenditure over 2001-02 and the forward estimates period is being slowed so that the Territory’s revenue can catch up.
Over the period of the government’s first term it is expected that final consumption expenditure, representing the government’s major spending component on salaries and operational costs, will increase by 14%, which is close to 4% real increase. Excluding spending on the railway, the Territory government’s expenditure on new fixed assets will be slightly higher over the next four years, averaging at $236m, than it has been over the previous five years where the average was $231m. Expenditure will be slightly higher in the first two years because of the increases in capital works spending approved by the government and the progress of a number of major projects including the Royal Darwin and Alice Springs Hospitals and the East Arm Port.
In the best interests of Territorians this mini-budget is framed around four core principles:
the unavoidable necessity of restoring the budget bottom line to surplus, thus placing the Territory
on a financially responsible path of debt reduction over the medium term;
to the August election;
service; and
average paid by the residents of other states.
In addition, we took on board a number of initiatives raised during the Economic Development Summit.
Before providing details of the mini-budget, it is appropriate that I provide an update on the Territory economy. During the mid to late 1990s, the Territory economy out-performed the rest of Australia. As the stimulus from the Defence Force relocation program eased back, the 1990s growth phase came to an end. After falling to just 0.9% in 1999-2000, economic growth of 4.5% was recorded in 2000-01, but a spike in oil production acted to mask subdued onshore conditions. In 2000-01, dwelling investment declined for the second year in a row and private consumption growth weakened markedly after three years of strong growth.
After two years of weak onshore activity, the economy is expected to show some signs of a pickup in the short term, despite a heightened external risk to the outlook. The outlook has been affected by the deferral of the gas pipeline to Darwin and the decision by Methanex to pursue an alternative location for its methanol plant. In addition, the impact of an already weakening world economy has been exacerbated by fallout from the terrorist attacks in the US and the collapse of Ansett. Nonetheless, the Territory economy can improve.
Economic growth is forecast by Treasury to grow by 5% in 2001-02, despite recent setbacks. Economic growth will be driven by the construction phase of the $1.3bn Alice Springs to Darwin railway and a modest recovery in dwellings investment and household consumption expenditure. The work done on the railway will boost output, employment and incomes in the Territory, boosting activity in construction and manufacturing industries. Contracts and employment associated with the railway will also act to improve consumer confidence and business sentiment.
Private consumption is set to turn around throughout 2002, although, in the short term, consumer confidence will play an important role in determining how quickly spending recovers. After two years of negatives, dwelling investment is expected to make a positive contribution to economic growth in 2001-02.
Given recent events and uncertainties surrounding major oil and gas projects, the anticipated phase of strong and sustained employment growth in the Territory may be delayed. Employment will benefit from the construction phase of the railway, but will be affected by the impact on tourism-related sectors of the world economic slow down, compounded by the 11 September attacks and the collapse of Ansett.
Population growth in the Territory has moderated in line with the Army relocation program, falling to 1.1% in the year to March 2001. Population is expected to increase in 2001-02 with the outflow experienced over the past three years from net interstate migration expected to decline.
In 2000-01, the one-off impact of the introduction of the GST influenced price inflation, as did the exchange rate and petrol prices. The Darwin CPI increased by 5.4% in 2000-01, below the 6% increase in the national CPI. In the latest, the September 2001, quarter, Darwin’s annual CPI fell back to 1.9% against 2.5% nationally as the one-off impact of the GST dropped out. Darwin’s CPI inflation for 2001-02 is forecast at 2.5%.
Territory average weekly ordinary time earnings growth slowed in 2000-01, reflecting a soft labour market. Territory wages growth is likely to remain contained in 2001-02, in line with national trends.
Exports contributed strongly to growth in 2000-01. This will change in 2001-02 as oil field pressure and, therefore, production from Laminaria-Corallina falls. Deteriorating external conditions will also act to undermine prices and demand for Territory exports of goods and services. External risks are therefore biased on the downside. A large proportion of Territory exports are used in manufacturing production in Southeast Asia for subsequent export to the United States and other industrialised nations.
International travel is being affected in the short term by weaker economic conditions in many parts of the world, as well as fallout from the terrorist attacks. Nevertheless, Australia’s safe haven status and low dollar should cushion the impact on international visitor arrivals to some extent. There is also increased likelihood that Australians will defer international travel in favour of domestic travel.
Despite short-term uncertainty, the Territory’s medium term economic growth prospects have a significant upside, particularly considering the number of potential gas-related projects under serious consideration.
Territorians demonstrated their faith in our future at the recent Economic Development Summit hosted by my government at the beginning of November. For the first time, a broad cross-section of the business community, unions, indigenous and welfare groups, and educators were brought together to explore the options available to the Territory to secure its economic future in both the short and the longer term. My government is listening to Territorians and we are acting on their recommendations. There emerged a true spirit of partnership that together we can work cooperatively, making the most of the genuine opportunities available to us.
This means not only oil and gas but a broad spectrum of possibilities emerging in this new century, harnessing the skills, knowledge and drive of Territorians and unleashing the potential of our indigenous community. I am proud of the positive way business has responded to the summit, and my government has already worked to ensure open and effective communication between government and business. Last Thursday, the Gas Task Force met with business to discuss the status of current developments and to seek input into strategies that will bring the earliest delivery of gas onshore.
Further, I received a submission from leading business organisations including the Chamber of Commerce, the Territory Construction Association, the Minerals Council and the Motor Traders Association on the proposal to establish a Territory-based think tank. This will commission further research to expand business opportunities and to harness the talent we have across the public and private sectors. I support this concept. A working party will continue to develop the concept and explore the best options to be adopted with the full support of government. As these business organisations have noted, more and more we will need to pursue the issues associated with building our own economic sovereignty in the face of national and international pressures. No one else is going to do it for us. I believe further positive initiatives will be announced shortly by the business community, and welcome them.
The summit delegates also acknowledged that the government, for its part, must repair the damaged finances it inherited and work toward fiscal sustainability.
One of Professor Allan’s recommendations was the introduction of fiscal integrity and transparency legislation, similar to the Commonwealth’s charter of budget honesty, and comparable legislation in some state jurisdictions. The Territory’s legislation is expected to be passed during these sittings.
The mini-budget documentation has been prepared on a basis consistent with the Fiscal Integrity and Transparency Bill and sets new standards for the presentation of budget information in the Territory. The bill requires that whole-of-government information be prepared on a basis which is consistent with externally determined standards, and be based on the Uniform Presentation Framework as agreed by governments.
This has required a change to Budget Paper No 2 which includes the agency-based estimates and the introduction of a new Budget Paper No 3, The Economic and Fiscal Outlook. As before, Budget Paper No 2 includes detailed material for each agency and summary tables for the public account on a gross basis, consistent with the information required for agency management, appropriation and allocation purposes. The information in Budget Paper No 2 is consistent with the new public sector administrative arrangements that I announced on 13 November.
Because of the short time between that announcement and the mini-budget, estimates have been made on the amounts associated with the restructure which we will need to transfer from one agency to another. The amounts identified are generally those provided by the agency from which the function is transferring, although it is likely that these amounts may increase when negotiations about corporate overhead and centrally-managed costs are finalised.
Budget Paper No 2 no longer includes summary information on a net basis. The whole-of-government net information is included in Budget Paper No 3 and is based on the Northern Territory’s total public sector as required by the fiscal integrity and transparency legislation and consistent with the Uniform Presentation Framework agreement.
This Uniform Presentation Framework scope is broader than the budget sector included in Budget Paper No 2 and includes the AustralAsia Railway Corporation. Because of timing differences between the receipt of funds from the three governments and payments to the consortium and the magnitude of the funds involved, the inclusion of the AustralAsia Railway Corporation distorts the Territory’s underlying fiscal position. These timing differences result in a notional improvement in the Territory’s bottom line in 2000-01, and a similar deterioration in 2001-02.
Accordingly, in order to provide the most accurate picture of the Territory’s fiscal position, I will report on the Territory’s total public sector excluding the AustralAsia Railway Corporation.
The estimated outcome for 2001-02, following the mini-budget consideration, is a deficit of $126m. This amount includes $17m in carryover items from 2000-01, and it is expected that a similar amount will be carried into 2002-03. Thus, the likely end of year outcome is expected to be lower than the $126m forecast. This result has been achieved after resetting the allocation for agencies to properly reflect their expenditure requirements; inclusion of the government’s initiatives and savings as outlined in the election platform; and incorporation of a debt-reduction strategy necessary to put the Territory’s finances on a sustainable basis.
Final consumption expenditure is expected to grow by 3.5% compared with 2000-01 and will ensure that government spending, so necessary for the local economy, is growing in real terms but at a more sustainable rate than over the past four years. Current outlays are expected to grow by a less of 1.6%, due to reductions in interest costs as a result of the Territory’s large debt refinancing program occurring in a lower interest rate environment.
Excluding the railway, new fixed capital expenditure is $33m greater than in 2000-01, and $12m more than in the May budget brought down by the previous government. I will repeat that - $12m more than in the May budget brought down by the previous government which certainly takes on the Opposition Leader’s ridiculous comments this morning on radio. This increase has been achieved in a very difficult fiscal environment and indicates the government’s commitments to the construction industry as a key contributor to the local economy.
The Territory’s revenues are expected to be $2.064m in 2001-02, an increase of 4.2% over last year. Territory taxes are estimated to decline by nearly $5m due to the abolition of state-based taxes as part of the national tax reform package. Commonwealth grants show a commensurate rise consistent with the commitment the state jurisdictions will be no worse off as part of tax reform. The Territory is required to increase its borrowings by $100m consistent with the estimated deficit. If the outcome is better than anticipated, then a lower level of borrowings will be undertaken.
The forward estimates project that the Territory’s total public sector will be in surplus by 2004-05. This has been achieved after the reallocation of expenditure requirements of government agencies so that their budget allocations reflect their expenditure needs; the inclusion of government initiatives and savings; and the incorporation of the deficit reduction strategy. This is a considerable achievement for the government, given the advice that we received just three months ago on the unsustainability of the Territory’s financial position.
The key requirement in achieving the projected outcome is to limit growth in final consumption expenditure to no more than 3.4% per annum over the forward estimates period. This will be difficult when compared with recent years where, despite initial budget predictions of little growth, actual outcomes showed growth of 6.7% per annum on average over the four years to 2000-01. But there is no alternative. We simply cannot afford to spend more.
I hasten to repeat that this is not a decline in expenditure but, rather, a slowing down of the rate of growth. The basis on which the forward estimates have been projected is set out in Budget Paper No 3. The projections include a provision for a contingency amount that has not been allocated to specific functional areas. The contingency is consistent with amounts required in previous years, and needs to be, to accommodate fiscal events outside the Territory’s direct control. These can include natural disasters such as floods or cyclones, changes in national economic parameters that affect the Territory’s level of grants from the Commonwealth, or other concerns such as national or international recession. It also prudently sets aside funds to assist in meeting the infrastructure costs associated with the arrival of gas onshore.
The forward estimates include the known requirements of agencies and reflect policy decisions made to date. Over the next couple of months, more detailed analysis of the forward estimates will be undertaken to determine whether all of the known agency-related issues that will affect our future fiscal position have been included. This may result in some reallocation of the contingency amounts to agencies. At the end of that process, Cabinet will determine an approved forward estimate for each agency, and will expect the agency to manage its service delivery requirements within that allocation.
An important element of this government’s election platform was the carefully developed, fully-costed election promises. As part of the mini-budget planning, each of those promises has been analysed and considered again by government. I am pleased to announce that all of the initiatives that we included in our financial platform have been included in the mini-budget and forward estimates in a fiscally responsible manner.
With the benefit of greater information available in government, we have been able to revise the costings of a number of initiatives and to identify others where the initiative can be undertaken within the existing resources of agencies. Some others have had their expected start dates deferred by a year. The cost of these government initiatives is $13m in 2001-02 - including the bringing forward of a grant of $6m to the Nominal Insurer payable with respect to the emerging cost of the HIH liabilities - and $136m over the four years to 2004-05. I repeat that for the benefit of the opposition: the cost of these government initiatives in this financial year is $13m. $49m or 36% has been allocated over the next four years to health; $28m or 21% to education; and $20m or 15% of that increase to law enforcement. These amounts are in addition to the increases in ongoing operational funding and the escalation provisions included in the forward estimates.
To put these costs in perspective, they represent just 1.5% of total outlays over the four years to 2004-05. I would say very modest and very responsible. These costs are offset by the savings measures identified by the government prior to the election together with a small part of the budget improvement measures. The budget improvement measures in this mini-budget are predominantly required to fix the deficit my government inherited. That is the bottom line of what this mini-budget is all about. This mini-budget is about fixing the deficit that we inherited from the previous administration. This mini-budget is about that deficit, about the dishonesty that was presented in the May budget papers, and this mini-budget is about fixing that.
Budget Paper No 3 includes a complete listing of the government’s initiatives. I will also detail a number of initiatives later in this statement.
To bring the Territory’s fiscal position under control, a deficit reduction strategy is an essential component. It has not been easy, but the government was committed to putting in place an achievable, realistic deficit reduction strategy. The strategy has necessarily required additional revenue measures, as well as saving targets for agencies. However, the revenue measures are limited and account for less than a quarter of the recurrent savings measures. The revenue measures are carefully targeted to ensure Territorians contribute equitably, while keeping the burden as low as possible on any individual group or sector.
The revenue raising measures are:
The new measures should raise $4.4m for the remainder of 2001-02, and about $42m to the end of 2004-05.
I will now look at those measures in detail. The Temporary Budget Improvement Levy is being introduced from 28 November 2001 as a supplementary level on vehicle registration fees. The levy is set at $90 per annum and applies to vehicles capable of being used for private and domestic purposes. The legislation specifies the levy will only operate for three years, ending on the 27 November 2004. During that time, it is expected to raise $24m. A 50% concession applies to holders of the NT Pensioner Concession Card, and holders of the Commonwealth Health Care Card and Pensioner Health Benefit Card issued under the Commonwealth Social Security Act.
Certain vehicles including heavy vehicles, trailers, caravans, tractors and mobile plant and machinery are excluded from the levy to minimise the impact on business. Arrangements have also been made to ensure the cost of the levy is passed through to parliamentarians and government workers who are provided with a private-plated government vehicle for their use. So, we will all pay.
Vehicle and driver licensing fees in the Territory have remained unchanged for a number of years and in some cases are low compared with other jurisdictions. These fees will increase by 20%. For example, a one-year driver’s licence will increase from $20 to $24. The exception is commercial vehicle licence fees which remain unchanged since these fees were restructured in 1999 as part of the Taxi Licence Compensation Scheme.
Miscellaneous Motor Vehicle Registry charges include vehicle inspection charges and fees for personalised number plates. Again, these fees have remained unchanged for a number of years and are low compared with other jurisdictions. The current $50 flat fee for personalised number plates does not cover production and administration costs and will increase to $140 from 1 January 2002. Vehicle inspection fees will increase from $20 GST-exclusive to $35 GST-exclusive for light vehicles, and $70 GST-exclusive for heavy vehicles from 1 January 2002. This will also assist private inspectors to recover inspection costs. Other miscellaneous Motor Vehicle Registry charges will increase by about 20%. These include various administrative fees, as well as some fees for METAL, the Motorcyclist Education Training and Licencing.
The pastoral lease rental rate will increase from 1% to 2%, with effect from 1 July 2002, for the 2002-03 year, the first increase in the rate since 1992. This should lead to increased revenue in 2002-03 of $1.4m. It is recognised that the pastoral industry is susceptible to seasonal and fluctuating market fortunes. Accordingly, hardship criteria have been established to allow pastoral rents to be deferred or waived in appropriate circumstances.
Water and sewerage tariffs will increase by 5% with effect from 1 January 2002. For example, for water, the domestic usage charge will increase from 63 per kilolitre to 66 per kilolitre. For a domestic consumer, the average impact is increased water charges of $18 per annum. Similarly, for sewerage, the current fixed annual charge for domestic customers rises from $299 to $314 or an additional $15 per annum for the average domestic customer.
The range of sewerage charges will be expanded to recover the costs of collection and treatment of non-domestic sewage from the commercial sector. Trade waste charges will apply from 1 January 2002. This should lead to better environmental, occupational health and safety, regulatory and financial outcomes for PAWA and the Territory government, as well as meeting COAG water reform objectives.
As my government raised in the October sittings, we have some concerns about Treasury’s revenue forecast used in the 2001-02 budget relating to land sales. I have raised this matter with Treasury who have advised, as it is only five months into the financial year, it is too early to provide a more definitive figure. I have requested Treasury to monitor their forecast and provide regular advice to me. More details on these revenue measures are included in chapter 2 of Budget Paper No 3.
The overall approach to budget improvement has been to slow down the growth in outlays for the government sector as a whole. While overall outlays continue to rise in real terms, the impact on agencies varies. The budget improvement measures comprise the saving measures, where the government indicated before the election that it would increase efficiency and eliminate waste, and target budget improvement measures across the public sector. The areas where the government indicated it would make savings include reduction in travel costs, public relations and marketing, and consultancies. Information on these savings measures are included in chapter 3 of Budget Paper No 3.
In addition to these specific areas, and in line with the recommendations made by Professor Allan to address the financial circumstances we inherited, the government has approved a budget improvement model which meets the budget improvement target, without compromising the priority areas for this government and for Territorians. Budget improvement targets were focussed on the final consumption expenditure of agencies. Grants, capital expenditure, repairs and maintenance expenditure, and superannuation benefit payments were excluded from the savings measures. Hospitals, health and community services, schools, police and emergency services and custodial services have been largely quarantined from these budget improvement measures.
The budget improvement target is applied in 2001-02 and 2002-03. Thereafter, an annual productivity dividend of 1% is applied on the expectation that the public sector will achieve ongoing productivity improvements from technology and other investment improved work practices. The annual productivity dividend will be applied in the same way as the budget improvement model in that only 0.25% will be applied to the quarantined functional areas.
To assist agencies to achieve these targets, a series of workshops has already been held, outlining the ways in which real productivity improvements can be achieved in both the short and the longer term. Under the old management culture, agencies were given unrealistically low budgets with detailed allocations for activities within each agency. The inevitable budget blowouts were funded without due regard to an overall fiscal strategy with deficits, as we saw, growing rapidly over the past four years.
Chief executive officers were not held accountable for the performance of their agencies. As part of the new culture, the government has established criteria to improve public sector management. The onus will be on chief executive officers to deliver a threefold bottom line:
The government will carefully monitor the implementation of the budget improvement initiatives to ensure services to the Territory’s regional and remote areas are not compromised. Chief executive officers are to be provided with greater flexibility in managing the budgets of their agencies through the move to a single-line appropriation from this mini-budget and progression to net appropriations from 2002-03.
I now highlight particular aspects of the mini-budget. Health is a priority area for this government and the mini-budget delivers on our commitments. An additional $34m has been provided to the Department of Health and Community Services. Significant initiatives included in this amount are:
Another priority area is Employment, Education and Training where the newly-established department will bring together a range of important functions to ensure that the Territory’s education and training needs are appropriately met and, as a result, employment grows. There is a $10m increase in funding for services provided by the department. Specific initiatives are:
$6m has also been provided to the nominal insurer in relation to the collapse of HIH.
Law enforcement functions have received priority in the mini-budget. Police, Fire and Emergency Services have been provided with an additional $2m. In addition to $0.7m in one-off funding for the Falconio investigation, ongoing funding of $1.3m has been provided for increased communication costs and the Police Consent Agreement. Funding has also been provided to progressively deploy an additional 50 police officers and seven support staff; 10 police and two support staff will be recruited in the 2001-02 year.
The Department of Justice has received a $5m increase in its base allocation to manage payments associated with the Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund. This was previously funded from Treasurer’s Advance, making management of the fund more difficult than it needed to be. An additional $0.9m has been provided to the Director of Public Prosecutions having regard to the additional workload faced by the office over an extended period of time.
Services to industry will receive an additional focus as a result of the mini-budget and the administrative restructuring I announced on 13 November. The Office of Territory Development will receive an additional $0.12m in 2001-02 to assist with its establishment. A further $0.6m will be provided from 2002-03 onwards for ongoing expanded operations. This is in addition to the budgets of the existing units which will be brought together to form the office.
$0.25m has been provided to progress the Desert Knowledge Precinct.
The Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development has been provided with an additional $1.7m for a range of programs, some of which have been carried over from 2000-2001. They include: the eradication of the banana black sigatoga and the red imported fire ant; additional funding for the rail task group; and the establishment of short course business skills workshop and business case managers.
The new Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs will bring together the many community and lifestyle functions which are so important to the Territory. An additional $0.2m has been provided for the operational requirements of the Alice Springs Cultural Precinct. Increases in a range of arts and cultural programs have been approved to commence from 2002-03.
The Territory’s remote communities have been given priority in the mini-budget with an additional $2m for essential services and $0.15m for sport and recreation officers in 2001-02, rising to $0.3m in 2002-03.
The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment will bring together key functions necessary to ensure the sustainable development of the Territory. It is expected that the improved coordination, which will result from the new department, will enhance the opportunity available to developers and those in the construction industry. As I have already said, this mini-budget includes a significant boost for the construction industry with an increase of $15m in various parts of the works program. An additional $6m has been provided for repairs and maintenance, and a further $4m has been provided for minor new works.
In line with the recommendation of the Economic Development Summit, the government has already announced it will progress the redevelopment of the Darwin Wharf Precinct in conjunction with the private sector. The Power and Water Authority will spend an additional $1.5m on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and $1.5m on increased maintenance at Channel Island.
This mini-budget sets the Territory on a long overdue path to fiscal sustainability. There is no alternative. The reason this mini-budget is required is to address the substantial deficit this new government inherited. Improvement in the Territory’s fiscal position will require commitment and discipline, something we did not see from the previous administration. It will not be easy, but it is essential that the fiscal targets set out in the forward estimates be met. Even so, the mini-budget provides for growth. There are real annual increases in final consumption expenditure, and new fixed capital expenditure is expected to average slightly more over the forward estimates period than the previous five years.
The fiscal position will recover as the economic situation improves. In addition to the government’s works program, the railway construction will deliver considerable additional work to the construction and related services industries.
Madam Speaker, the mini-budget provides the firm fiscal base on which the Territory’s next stage of development will come. I proudly commend the statement to the House.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Debate adjourned.
Madam SPEAKER: Honorable members, we will now go on with government business of the day. I ask that broadcast and filming cease.
Continued from 18 October 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I have had an opportunity to carefully examine the provisions of the Statute Law Revision Bill (No 2). There are no substantive changes in policy. Indeed, the bill contains a number of housekeeping amendments relating to acts from the Crown Lands Act to the Wills Act, and the opposition supports the bill in its current form.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for their support for the bill. Members will be aware that Statute Law Revision Bills are brought to this House a couple of times a year. They only have the effect of tidying up spelling and other technical issues within the existing legislation without introducing any significant change regarding the policy expressed in that legislation. This is a typical Statute Law Revision Bill that we are considering today.
I foreshadow that I will be bringing on an amendment in the committee stage. It was necessitated simply by a drafting oversight when the bill was presented to me. We will fix that up as we go through the committee stages.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 1.1. Schedule 1 of the bill provides for the reference to the Co-operative Trading Societies Act in the Companies (Unclaimed Assets and Moneys) Act to be omitted and replaced by a reference to the Co-operatives Act. This amendment is no longer necessary. The required correction was made by the Corporations Reform (Consequential Amendments NT) Act 2001. That act commenced operation on 15 July 2001. Accordingly, the proposed amendment is to be removed from this bill.
Amendment agreed to.
Bill, as amended, agreed to.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 18 October 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I have had an opportunity to examine the bill. As the member for Stuart quite properly said in his second reading speech, it was recommended by the Coroner, Warren Donald, following the inquest into the death of Rosie McIntyre. I note with interest that the provision implements the safeguards in the Police Administration Act, namely, section 137 and 138 relating to the time that a person can be held in custody.
The bill is clear on the face of the document, and the opposition supports the bill in its current form.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for their support for this bill. It really arose out of an oversight when the other legislation was brought in and out of the statute books. This corrects the situation by allowing police to deal with these matters of suspended sentences and mercy releases, and so we can allow the police to not only deal with people who are in breach in those situations but also to protect potential victims where an offender may go back to their community or the place where the victim is residing and cause further harm to that person. It is important to have police given the right to deal in a timely fashion with those types of situations to prevent further tragedy or duress to people who are already victims.
Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, I thank the opposition for their support.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 25 October 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, at the outset I am indebted to the Attorney-General and his staff for giving me a briefing in respect of the legislation. The legislation, historically, comes from a report prepared by the Public Accounts Committee, Report No 33, an Inquiry into the Fines, Fees and Outstanding Debts Situation in the Northern Territory.
The joint task force and various other jurisdictions came up with what it thought was the best practice scheme and effectively based on the New South Wales model, we now have before this parliament the bill in its present form, the Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Bill 2001.
I can indicate that the opposition supports the bills. There is a condition, effectively, that government review the cost effectiveness of the recovery unit - that is, the recovery unit established under the act - in 12 months time. If the Attorney-General can give that undertaking that there certainly will be a review of the cost of the implementation of this legislation to see how cost effective it is in 12 months time, the opposition support the bills in their current form.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank the minister for a briefing that he gave us last week. I have a few queries about the act. One is a case of when you get a child who is 14 and who, of course, cannot have a licence. What happens in those circumstances when trying to collect a fine? Who is responsible for the payment of that fine?
Another one is that there needs to be some protection for some of the poorer people in our society who, for instance, do not have a licence, probably live in a house on an Aboriginal community where they do not actually own the house, they rent it and are living communally, and, in some cases, may not be physically fit enough to do community orders. I would like to hear the Attorney-General’s comments about how those people are protected. One of the things that I find very difficult is that people can still go to gaol for sleeping in a public place. One of the funny things I find in society is that being drunk in a public place - which I think is more obnoxious than sleeping in a public place - is not an offence.
I agree with the member for Goyder that we do need a review in 12 months. That review should look at what percentage of fines have been recovered compared with what is happening at the present time as the number of people who are now serving prison sentences for non-payment of fines decreases. We ought also to have a cost analysis to see whether the amount of money recovered from fines is equivalent to the cost of running the Fines Recovery Unit.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Madam Speaker, I would like to go over what a fine is to make it clear to everyone in the House and others who may be listening. A fine is a penalty that you must pay if you break the law. You can be fined by a court or by a government officer such as a police officer. Certain types of offences attract a fine, while others may result in a gaol sentence or other penalty. However, fines are still very serious. If you do not pay your fine on time, you may have to pay even more money. In the most serious cases, you could be sent to gaol.
If you travel faster than the legal speed limit, you can be fined by a police officer at the time or you could receive a penalty through the mail, if it is through a speed camera. If you drive through a red light and you are caught on a red light camera, you could receive a fine for that. A court can order you to pay a fine if the court decides you have broken the law and you will generally be told how much that fine is at court.
Fines can range from amounts under $100 to thousands of dollars depending on the law that was broken. In some cases, depending on how serious an offence is, the court may have a choice of whether to impose a fine or send a person to gaol. Fines and other penalties encourage people not to break the law. If fines and other penalties are to work, they must be enforced. If some people do not pay their fines, others may not take the law seriously. For example, if laws against speeding were not enforced by the police, people may not obey the speed limit and others could be hurt or killed.
The bills we are debating today will establish the Fines and Recovery Unit. The unit will have the power to make enforcement orders against fine defaulters and to receive and collect outstanding fines and infringements by a number of means such as suspension of driver’s licence or vehicle registration; restriction of business with the Motor Vehicle Registry; property seizure orders; garnishee of wages; registered charge on property; community work orders; issue of warrants for breach of community work orders as a last option; and administration of write-off policy.
The Fines Recovery Unit will be responsible for making sure that people pay their fines. This makes sure that people take the law seriously and that our community is safer. Money collected from fines may then be put to good use in our schools, hospitals and communities.
By researching the benefits to the community of introducing bills such as these, I referred to the Public Accounts Committee Report No 33 entitled Inquiry Into Fees, Fines and Outstanding Debts. I had cause to note the contribution of other jurisdictions. Western Australia has implemented a similar regime to the one our government is proposing. The Western Australian model was designed to increase the number of infringement notices and court fines being paid by minimising costly enforcement actions. This initiative, it was noted, had the flow-on effect of reducing the number of people going to gaol - I will say that again: had the flow-on effect of reducing the number of people going to gaol - as well as releasing police officers from fine enforcement, allowing them to concentrate on their core function.
These are some of the community strengths of this new scheme. It not only increases the rate of fine recovery, but will assist our police to get back to core business: serving and protecting our community. The Commander of Southern Region Operational Services Command of the NT Police, when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee, noted that when a fine is not paid and a Warrant of Commitment is issued, it is usually a police officer who has to apprehend the defendant and deliver him or her into the custody of Correctional Services for a set period unless the fine and other associated costs be sooner paid.
The NT Police submission also noted that the execution of warrants is a resource-intensive activity and, at the time of the submission in the Alice Springs area alone, they had a Warrants and Inquiry section with two officers dedicated to court processes, including the processing of warrants. This scheme will help police get on with their primary role of crime prevention and law enforcement rather than having them diverted into the role of debt collector.
Prior to the introduction of the system in Western Australia, it was found that the use of work and development orders - similar to our proposed community work order - as a default option, was both costly and ineffective, particularly where fine defaulters had the capacity to pay but inappropriately sought a work and development order. Community work orders were intended as an alternative to imprisonment, not as an alternative to the payment of a fine.
Closer scrutiny of individuals in Western Australia at the time of the assessment has seen a marked improvement in this area. Our system will work to ensure that people who have the capacity to pay their fine will be refused the option of community work orders and instead, appropriate alternative debt recovery action will be initiated.
The Public Accounts Committee report also noted that in the experience of South Australia, some fine defaulters did not see imprisonment as a deterrent and were prepared to use it to expiate unpaid fines. South Australia considered this mentality took away the purpose of the primary sanction and the consequences were that fines were not collected, and individuals were imprisoned not for a crime, but as a penalty against the non-recovery of a debt. Indeed, this phenomena was also noted to be occurring in the Territory.
The commander I mentioned earlier went on to note that he thought it relevant to mention that in many instances, the subject of a warrant elected not to pay the fine and either do the appropriate term in custody or perhaps be granted a service order.
Under our system, imprisonment will be the very last resort. Our system ensures that there are effective alternative options to place before a person who has the capacity to pay, but won’t. South Australia, just like Victoria, saw that the establishment of dedicated unit would best serve the collection and enforcement of fines and expiation of fees, with a specific focus on collection.
The role of a debt recovery officer is a very difficult role indeed. It does not come easily to a lot of people to confront strangers and make demands for money, nor does it come easily to deal with people on a daily basis who are in hardship but nevertheless have a debt they must pay. Whilst there is no dispute that people who receive a fine have broken the law, and the fine is a blunt tool to ensure compliance with the expectations of society, there are some people who seemingly have an inability to budget in order to pay their debt. These people need to be assisted in coming to an arrangement with government. These people have broken the law, but in the vast number of cases, it is in the community’s interest to make sure they pay the fine rather than default and face a gaol term.
Government will support the public sector people who will be at the coal face managing this scheme. This support has taken the form of suitable accommodation, functional information technology tools and suitable, relevant training.
In line with this government’s commitment to a professional public service providing quality outcomes to the community, the Fines Recovery Unit will be adequately and suitably resourced to achieve its mission. Suitable accommodation for the unit has been leased. System changes to the Integrated Justice Information System have been undertaken to accommodate new enforcement options and provide an interface with the Motor Vehicle Registry as licence suspension is one of the new options. Work on the Integrated Justice Information System has been completed and is fully operational. The Service Level Agreement has been finalised with the Motor Vehicle Registry, being a major part of the new fines enforcement system. Negotiations are continuing to conclude Service Level Agreements with other stakeholders such as city councils, NT Police and NT Correctional Services.
Communications equipment for the new unit has been purchased and is being installed as part of the fit-out of the offices. As the minister mentioned earlier, a media campaign strategy will precede the full operation of the new regime. The campaign will include television, radio and print media. The campaign will also take into account the specific communication requirements of some indigenous Territorians so as to ensure broad community understanding of the new scheme. Recruitment of all positions has been completed and staff have been undertaking intensive training, in preparation for the passage of this legislation.
People who have fines to pay are entitled to a high level of customer service, as is a person who enters into a transaction with a business house. Most people, whenever they undertake a business transaction these days, want to be able to do all their related business in one place at one time. The Fines Recovery Unit offers such a culture of service to its customers.
The Fines Recovery Unit will be a separate registry at the Local Court, with the role and responsibility for managing the process of enforcement throughout the Territory. It will, in effect, be a one-stop shop for aspects of fine recovery including receipting of payments, making time to pay arrangements, and providing information to the public about the enforcement process.
Effects of this new scheme will be felt in the areas of case management. This government is not about causing undue hardship, while still addressing the need to ensure that fines are maintained and recognised by all to be both a penalty and a deterrent to future breaches of our laws. While this scheme comes with a raft of options for ensuring fine debtors do not default on payments, there is recognition within government that not all people default for the same reason or motivation. Every defaulter will be allocated a case manager under the new scheme. This will ensure that flexible payment plans are developed according to individual needs and requirements. The plans will take into consideration individual hardship and it is anticipated that this, in turn, will lead to increased motivation of defaulters to meet their payment obligations.
Efficiency: flexible payment options will be available. These include electronic transfer and direct debit. Negotiations with Centrelink are underway for direct payment to be made from benefits. In addition, the same recovery process will be used for both court fines and infringement notices.
Imprisonment rate: the key features of enforcement procedures of the new scheme include a hierarchy of enforcement options and the ability to apply to convert an outstanding fine to a community work order at any stage of the enforcement process. Consequently, imprisonment can only occur if a defaulter refuses to undertake or fails to complete a community work order. This should lead to a considerable reduction in the rate of imprisonment, particularly of indigenous fine defaulters.
Culture change: the new scheme removes both the police and the courts from the processing of infringement notices and enforcement. It is based on a case management system with flexible payment options to accommodate individual circumstance. This will create a more client-friendly approach to the collection of fines and penalties, and bridge the gap between defaulters and enforcement agencies. The impact will be increased collection rate, which will stem from increased motivation of defaulters to meet their obligations.
Madam Speaker, this new scheme is based on Australian best practice derived from the NSW system and adjusted to cater for the unique characteristics of the Territory. I commend the scheme to honourable members.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, a couple of very quick points. I actually have no problems with the legislation as the Attorney-General has brought it into the House, having worked in the area myself for the police department collecting fines. There are a couple of questions I would like to ask the Attorney-General for the clarification of Territorians.
First, how much is currently outstanding in terms of Warrants of Commitment - in their monetary value - here in the Northern Territory? How will the unit itself work in terms of remote localities? As I understand it, it is a unit of four or five people. How is it going to get into remote localities and recover the monies associated with Warrants of Commitment, and how are they going to be able to operate in terms of ensuring that community work orders are actually followed through? Who is in charge of the management of those community work orders? Also, how is the unit itself going to operate in terms of recovery of Warrants of Commitment in urban centres? Are they actually going to drive up to people’s door steps?
I listened to the member for Sanderson, who discussed the matter as though it were a debt collection issue which, essentially, it is. Does the Attorney-General agree with the approach of the debt collection process and, if so, has attention been turned to the use of private debt collectors in these environments? If it hasn’t been considered, why not? If it has been considered, what reasons can the Attorney-General give as to why they are not going down that path?
We heard this morning from the Chief Minister in relation to bureaucracy and excessive bureaucratic structures. I am curious to see why we are creating an extra one if a private operator was able to pick up the ball and run with it themselves. I am sure the Attorney-General will be more than happy to answer my questions.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Fines and Penalties Recovery Bill. What I have done is broken this into three areas to outline. First, the monetary good days, then the bad days of the recent past, and then the improved system.
The monetary good days: not every offence dealt with in the criminal system calls for a prison sentence or suspended prison sentence. Imposing fines, infringement notices, and penalties as a punishment is a sentencing option for magistrates and that has a long history. It is an option that has the potential for unequal treatment under the law, simply because some citizens are far wealthier than others.
Magistrates, of course, try to take this into account by inquiring about the financial circumstances of the person they are dealing with and trying to make the size of the fine match the contents of the offender’s wallet. Despite the best attempts of magistrates in this regard, there has always been a problem making the concept of punishment by way of payment of fines, infringement notices and penalties seem like part of everyday reality, especially for Aboriginal people in remote Territory communities.
In the days before the introduction of the Sentencing Act, offenders had the option of getting rid of their fines, infringement notices and penalties by doing community service work. This option did not raise any money for government coffers but, on the whole, people who took the community service option were people who would have had difficulty paying any fines. The community service hours carried out constituted a tangible punishment which reminded both the offender and the passing community member of the reason why the offender was doing the work. In many cases, the discipline and activity of carrying out the community service order may well have also kept the offender out of further trouble, at least for a time.
The bad days of the recent past: as part of the previous government’s misguided law and order regime, the option of converting fines to community services was removed. This compounded the risk of unequal treatment that was inherent in the imposition of a fine as a penalty. That is, the risk that the fine would be a mere inconvenience to a wealthy individual but a crippling hardship for a poor one. The wealthy or even average salaried offender would have had the financial resources to pay the fine and would simply pay it. The poor - in the majority of cases, Aboriginal offenders - would not be able to afford to pay the fine and would default.
Sometimes the system would never catch up with him or her in which case there would be no revenue gained for the government and no effective punishment meted out through the criminal justice system. More often the system would eventually catch up with the offender, who would then cut out time in prison. I came across some statistics for the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 1999. There were 1826 episodes of imprisonment involving indigenous fine defaulters compared with 390 for non-indigenous fine defaulters. The equivalent figures for the period 1 January 1998 to 22 August 2001 were 2620 compared with 596 respectively.
I now briefly touch on that improved new system which we are heading to. Since its election on 18 August this year, the Martin Labor government has passed amending legislation to bring back the basic fairness that used to exist before the option to convert fines to community service was taken away. A young CDEP worker in an Aboriginal community with very little chance of paying off a fine, even if given a generous period of time in which to pay it, is once again in a position to be able to work off the fine by doing what will now be called a Community Work Order.
Most CDEP workers are employed only on half-day CDEP shifts, and the community supervisory resources will in most cases have no difficulty in coping with running community work order teams in alternate shifts.
The bill that we debate today represents a further fine-tuning of the system. Whether in town or out in the bush, not every poor person will be in a position to convert a fine into community work. Some offenders will be simply physically incapable of such work, whether as a result of age, illness, or disability. Rather than condemning such people to prison as fine defaulters, the plan to be put in place by the proposed Fines and Penalties Recovery Act will ensure that such disadvantaged members of our community who, in the real world, are not immune from committing the minor kinds of criminal offences that tend to attract punishment by way of fine, are given the sort of case management support they require over time to repay their debt.
This objective will be achieved by assisting them to pay off fines by way of small but regular instalments. The revenue gained for government will be an improvement on the net loss to taxpayers incurred in each incarceration of fine defaulters. It is hoped that the discipline of adhering to an instalment payment plan will assist in fostering habits of personal financial management that may then be translated to other aspects of the individual’s personal financial affairs.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for their contribution to the debate. It is good to see widespread input to legislation in this House. Too often it becomes just one of the ministers and the shadow with everyone else bowing out of it.
This is an important bill. It says something quite fundamental about our system of penalties, or prescriptions. It is attempting to reintroduce as a very strong area of punishment, the lightest area of the sequence of punishments that is available to the government. In fact, it is an area that has fallen into some disarray in recent times resulting in both more severe penalties for people and less severe penalties as attempts to collect these fines and penalties were abandoned. We were in sore need of reform and, certainly, as a member of the Public Accounts Committee that undertook this study, we were very aware of the dysfunctions that really needed to be fixed. Hopefully, today, we will have put that task aside.
To go to some of the points that were raised by various speakers, I am certainly quite happy to put on Hansard a commitment to a review of this act. An appropriate time would be more like 15 to 18 months out - perhaps the start of the year 2003 might be the appropriate time - to allow the moratorium period of three months to be gone through. Then, with the act operating in full, through the FRU, for a full year we can then see what it looks like. So, yes, we will review it. That is a perfectly sensible suggestion.
Are 14-year-olds responsible for the payment of their fines and penalties? Yes, they would be under this act. I will read some speaking notes into Hansard for the sake of the member of Nelson, seeing he raised this issue. Under the new scheme juveniles cannot be imprisoned for failure to pay a fine. However, all other enforcement measures under the scheme can be imposed on a juvenile. For example, licence/vehicle suspension - if they indeed have a licence, as you pointed out - and civil enforcement, community work orders. It would be expected, given the case management structure that is being introduced in this legislation, that the Fines Recovery Unit would certainly work with the extended family of those individuals as well as the individuals themselves. We would expect that families might well contribute to the payments in many circumstances but, really, the Fines Recovery Unit will be looking at the least traumatic of methods for juveniles to discharge these obligations. Nevertheless, the obligations are there by dint of their behaviour.
The impact on under-privileged indigenous areas of population: clearly, impoverished people will not have the means for many areas of this act to be applied to them. If they do not own a car or a house and, in many cases, do not hold a licence - these are major areas of enforcement - then really the major enforcement measure that is available under this act is the community work order. That would probably, in most cases, be pursued. Obviously, as people’s circumstances change - perhaps they get a job - and certainly if they are on welfare payments, then garnishee arrangements can be made in those circumstances. We do not see poverty in itself as being a reason to be put out of this scheme. It is simply that the means of discharging the obligation may have to be flexible. In a very small number of cases, there will be a back door to this to say: ‘It is simply not practical to pursue a fine, given the circumstances of the person’. They may be on a remote outstation or it might be impractical to apply any of the principles in the legislation. You would be talking about a very small percentage of people in that category, but we have to live with reality.
To look at the impact - this point has been made by earlier speakers, and I thank them for it - it seems paradoxical that we are bringing legislation in front of parliament which is aimed at greater enforcement of the law but, in fact, it will alleviate some of the unintended consequences of the law. If you look at the figures for the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 1999, 1826 indigenous people went to gaol for non-payment of fines and 390 non-indigenous people. You have over 2000 people who are in gaol simply because they could not pay a fine. In the period 1 January 1998 to 22 August 2001 - a slightly larger time period - 2620 indigenous people were put in gaol for non-payment of fines and 596 non-indigenous. You can see that the weight of the current situation is falling disproportionately on indigenous people, and the actual numbers that are in our gaols for fine default is extremely high.
I cannot see any logical argument as to why we would want to continue doing that, because gaol should be the harshest point of last resort for punishment of offenders in our community, not one that inadvertently becomes almost the first point of punishment simply because of the circumstances of the individual.
It does put on people in the Northern Territory the grim reality that if you are fined or issued a penalty, you will actually have to be it now because there will be someone from the Fines Recovery Unit actively working on a case-managed basis to call in on these fines. I will give some notes on debt recovery rates. The FRU, as I said earlier, will be a one-stop shop for all of the debt recovery across quite a wide range. If you look at the consequential amendments, this applies to probably 20 areas of our legislation - everything from brand offences to fisheries-related offences in the primary industry sector or amateur fishing through to the more common and better-known fines and penalty areas. We are using a very wide net to take the work of the Fines Recovery Unit into the community. We certainly believe that there will be an increased collection rate, and I would rather hope that there was, given that - in response to the question from the member for Macdonnell - we are owed $3m at the moment in fines and penalties. We believe that about $1m of that is recoverable. So, there is quite a high probability that the Fines Recovery Unit will return more money to government revenue than it will cost us in terms of the recovery process.
With the community work orders, the cooperation from the police in very remote areas is absolutely necessary. The member for Macdonnell asked ‘Are we going to use private bailiffs?’ Yes, that is embodied in the legislation and they will continue to be used at appropriate times during this process. But where it comes to issuing of warrants and proceeding into court proceedings leading to imprisonment at the very later stages, or the other areas that need to be handled by a court, there needs to be the continued involvement of our police force and other areas of the public service. This is a bit of a hybrid structure in that the Fines Recovery Unit will use the private sector where it is appropriate, but they will also need to be strongly drawing on the statutory powers of the police and other areas of the public sector.
Looking through some of the other points that were made, the question about standing warrants. There is a three month moratorium period, and that, certainly, will be used to try and clear a lot of those matters up. I think that has probably covered most of them.
I will finish my remarks at this stage by just foreshadowing that, again, I need to move an amendment during the committee stage. That was distributed earlier to the shadow and to the members as a whole. With those remarks, I will conclude the second reading debate.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Bill:
Clauses 1 to 105, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 106:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I wish to move an amendment regarding clause 106. We invite defeat on the current clause 106. The amendment I am putting forward inserts a new clause 106 to further clarify the role of the Fines Recovery Unit in relation to ancillary money orders (AMOs). As originally drafted, clause 106 provided for the FRU to collect ancillary money orders but it did not provide for how the money was to be paid or allocated. This amendment addresses that omission.
Ancillary money orders are distinguished from fines, as they are orders in addition to sentencing orders made by a court in criminal proceedings - for example, awards of costs and restitution orders. These are generally amounts awarded in a third party’s favour, such as the victim of the crime. Clause 106 clarifies that:
This amendment makes it clear that the needs of individuals affected negatively by criminal justice systems such as victims are given some priority. Recently, it has been the case that many victims have found it difficult, if not impossible, to recover amounts owing under restitution orders made in their favour. The FRU will actively assist people to pay their debts. It can set up time to pay arrangements and automatic deductions from Centrelink. This will encourage and make it easier for more people to pay their fines, including restitution orders. By giving AMOs priorities over fines, it will provide a real incentive to the FRU to recover restitution orders and other AMOs.
Clause 106 negatived.
Proposed new clause 106 agreed to.
Remainder of the bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Fines and Penalties (Recovery) (Consequential Amendments) Bill:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bills reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General) Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Ms MARTIN (Treasurer)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
I advise that I will be seeking to have this bill passed through all stages on Wednesday 28 November 2001.
The purpose of the bill is to give effect to the Temporary Budget Improvement Levy which was one of the measures announced as part of the government’s mini-budget strategy to improve the financial condition of the Territory.
The bill introduces a temporary increase in passenger motor vehicle registration fees by way of an additional levy of $90 for annual registration, or a monthly pro rata amount for lesser registration periods. The levy is to apply to new registrations and renewal notices issued on or after 28 November 2001. Excluded from the levy are omnibuses and goods vehicles with greater than 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass as defined by the Australian Design Rules, heavy vehicles with greater than 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass as defined by the Australian Design Rules, and motor tractors, trailers, caravans and other miscellaneous vehicles.
Hardship relief is provided by way of a 50% reduction in the levy for holders of a Northern Territory Pensioner Concession card or a Commonwealth Health Care or Pensioner Concession cards. The concession is only available for one motor vehicle registered in the name of the card holder. Where a person cancels their registration prior to its expiry, a pro rata refund of the levy will be made on application to the Registrar.
The government recognises that the state of the Territory’s finances is a problem for all Territorians including the members of this place and government offices. Accordingly, members and government officers who have private use of a private-plated government motor vehicle under an employment contract or other arrangement will also be required to pay the levy in relation to their government-provided vehicles. The temporary nature of this measure has been entrenched into the bill by the insertion of a sunset clause that ensures that the levy only applies for a maximum of three years.
The reason for a broadly applied increase in motor vehicle registration fees is that existing taxes fall predominantly on business. An increase to another tax source would aggravate the effects of already high business taxes, weaken the Territory’s economic base, retard recovery and thus impact on jobs. The government is not prepared to risk further pressure on jobs.
The government is aware of the concern Territorians will have about the levy and other measures announced as part of this budget. Unfortunately, there is little choice. The Territory simply must reduce, then eliminate its fiscal deficit and the structural weakness in the Territory budget inherited from the former government. This measure is an important part of the mini-budget strategy which will prepare the Territory to share in the recovery of the Australian and international economies.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
Continued from 25 October 2001.
Mr REED (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I take this opportunity to contribute to the Address-In-Reply. In doing so, I express my appreciation to the electors in my electorate who have, for the fifth time, elected me as the member for Katherine. Again, for the fifth time, I say with some pride indeed that I was able to win every booth in that electorate on the occasion of the 2001 election notwithstanding that there were more contestants this time - a total of five. The achievement, of course, is not just due to me but very much due to those people, both within the Country Liberal Party branch in Katherine and other supporters who provided me with so much assistance not only during the election campaign and on election day, but over the last four years of the last parliamentary term.
Also, my Electorate Officer, Lorna Hart, and most particularly, my family, I am pleased to say that I have had their support very strongly and all of them work hard to assist me. My wife, in particular, and also my children - my eldest boy, Stephen, my daughter Megan, and the youngest Reed kid, David. It is to their efforts and those of my helpers that I am indebted for the assistance that they provide.
The election outcome is a practicality in terms of recognising the result. Twenty-seven odd years of the CLP government had to come to an end at some time. I can look back as a participant over the last 14 or so years - from March 1987 when I was first elected - as being involved in much of that time with the development of the Northern Territory. I have had an opportunity as a minister since 1988 to participate in that and to contribute to it significantly. Indeed, I am able to now take some pride that but for the initiatives that were started by the CLP government during the last term of parliament, this Labor government today would have nothing to crow about in terms of what’s being done.
Every success that they are claiming was commenced by a CLP government, even to the extent of one of their major initiatives today in their mini-budget being the QuickStart home program which, of course, they did not even change one little bit. Didn’t tweak it here, fine tune it at all. If there is any better indication of the success of the CLP government - I cannot think of one just at the moment - but it is a demonstration of just how the Labor government lacks innovation, lacks the capacity to be able to come forward with their own programs and to be able to govern in the best sense.
In terms of the other outcome of the election, in that regard, we see now not only the largest, but the most experienced opposition that this parliament has seen. Over the course of this parliamentary term, we will see the benefits of that accrue to Territorians in terms of an improved democratic process, and an opposition that keeps this Labor government on its toes and performing, although that’s proving somewhat difficult in terms of getting them to do something at the present.
I want, in particular, to express my thanks to the heads of departments for whom I was responsible during the last term of parliament. In particular, the head of Treasury, the Under Treasurer, Ken Clarke, and all of the Treasury staff; the Police Commissioner, with my responsibilities as Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services; the head of the Tourist Commission, Tony Mayell, and his staff; in terms of the Parks and Wildlife Commission, Bill Freeland and the staff who provide the services across the Northern Territory in the excellent way that they do; and, our Commissioner for Public Employment, David Hawkes, who is soon to retire. All of those people and their staff, the police officers of the service, and Fire and Emergency Services who work so hard to ensure that Territorians are safe, both individually and in terms of their property, I express my thanks, too. Likewise, for those who went before them, in terms of other ministries that I held as a minister in former CLP governments.
I also want to thank the Tourist Commission Board who provide the guidance and direction for the excellent work done by the Tourist Commission in the form of developing programs and strategies to ensure that our tourism industry remains a viable and active one, and that we attract more visitors to the Northern Territory. I want to also thank the Parks and Wildlife Commission Board who guide that organisation in terms of their policy development, and to make sure that the commission provides the services that Territorians expect. Also, the Bushfires Council who, this year in particular, have been exceedingly busy as regards the demands that have been placed upon them across the Northern Territory with the very heavy fire season.
I take this opportunity to very warmly thank all of those people for their contribution, their support and assistance in making my job then, as a minister, much easier than it otherwise might have been.
The government has recently completed its first 100 days. Understandably, they have had some difficulties in adjusting to their new role. I do not think that has been particularly helped by their dependence on interstate help. One of the hallmarks of the Northern Territory is that we are a very independent group of people. We have developed in that way for many and varied reasons.
It is a great shame that we have seen that independence and the capacity of Territorians to ensure that governments are reflecting the needs of Territorians, that they have been ditched in favour of people from elsewhere in Australia notwithstanding, I guess, that they would be doing their best and working hard to achieve in the roles that they are playing. But the fact is that we do have the expertise in the Northern Territory to be able to fill all of those positions. The Territory does not have to rely on interstate consultants. We do not have to rely on the Percy Allans or the whoever elses. We have the expertise in our own Treasury and elsewhere in the Northern Territory in the private sector to be able to provide those services and consultancy arrangements. It is a great shame that the Labor Party found it unpalatable for them to use local expertise and they have had to rely on interstate imports. That is a sad reflection on their trust of Territorians. It does not auger well for the future of the Territory.
The Labor government’s priorities are overshadowed by their dependence on interstate advice. Of course, it is principally driven by their national political party, the federal ALP. The black hole theory was a direct lift from the Western Australian government and it is something that they have been using. They used the very same reasons all the way through in the Northern Territory as did the newly-elected Labor government in WA in relation to black holes and need to introduce new taxes and blame everyone else except taking any blame for themselves, of course.
They are all intertwined in the lack of trust that this current government has in Territorians. It has got them nowhere, sadly. There is enormous uncertainty and a crisis of confidence in the private sector across the Northern Territory. The wind down in government activity - we’ve seen a demonstration today where contractors are not getting the work that they were 12 months ago under a CLP government. The initiatives, few as they were, that were introduced in the mini-budget today will not take effect until February unless, of course, it is getting into the pockets of Territorians. That legislation is going to be rushed through, the money-grabbing is going to happen immediately. But, of course, the benefits in terms of government expenditure will not occur until next year. Those extra costs will meet the inflated promises that Labor made.
We are going to see also, in this term of parliament, somewhat of a standardising of the Northern Territory. There are a few examples of that. We have seen the introduction of a 100 km speed limit on the Lasseter Highway. That is, obviously, going to extend on to other main roads in the Northern Territory, something that won’t be welcomed. But this government is not showing any signs of standing up for the rights of Territorians. We have seen the advice from an interstate consultant, where the very effective public service structure has now been dismantled and mega departments formed, which will depersonalise service in the Northern Territory. It will isolate those industry departments from the particular industries that they serve. It will also isolate the community service departments from the community organisations that they serve. It will not do anything to promote morale and goodwill in the public service. I think it is a great shame to see those factors being lost to us.
But they are typically Labor approaches. Their social leanings that will be promoted …
Dr Burns: Reds under the bed.
Mr REED: No, no. Pay attention. Social leanings in terms of the services you are providing, not your politics. That is reflected by the fact that, in the Chief Minister’s address in this debate, she did not mention the single biggest income earning industry once in her contribution - that is the resources industry - but focussed on those social areas. That is where the focus is going to be. It is a great shame that that was reflected again today in the mini-budget.
The circumstances are not improving in terms of generating additional confidence in the community, and the position that we are going to see develop in relation to a very much increased focus on social services, as opposed to providing an impetus for the economy and job creation. One of the areas of concern that I also have is the politicisation of the public service, the priorities that are left in that regard ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: The Chief Minister laughs, but I do remind her of the performance we saw in the Assembly last time where the minister for health tabled a document from the CEO of Territory Health Services. It was very evident in that, that it was at the request of the minister that the CEO was asked to make political comments. Whether or not he knew what the consequences would be, who knows? But it is an indication of how this Labor government is prepared to politicise the public service and to be able to use people for their own political ends. I think that is a great shame. It doesn’t auger well for the public service.
There was another example of it. It is interesting to note, now that Mr Bob Collins has been appointed as virtually a CEO by this government in relation to the Territory development programs that he will be directing…
Ms Martin: He’s part-time. He’s an Ambassador. Get a grip!
Mr REED: I pick up the interjection. I suspect that he is part-time, but he is not doing it for nothing. Is he on the payroll or not?
Ms Martin: He is being paid. Of course, he is being paid.
Mr REED: He’s on the payroll, thank you. Well, that is all I wanted to know. He is on the payroll and as such, being on the payroll, paid for by the Territory taxpayer. In that regard, reflecting the attitude of this government in politicising the public service, it is worthy to consider their approach to these matters, in relation to the opening of this parliament and the comments from the floor that Mr Collins made. I thought for a former member of this House, a former Senator and minister in the federal government, for him to interject from the floor was a most inappropriate action.
For him, as a paid person - if only part-time, but not withstanding that – with taxpayers money in the current role that he plays, I would like to think that the Chief Minister would be speaking to him about whether or not in that role it is appropriate for him to continue to make public comments of a political kind in relation to the radio interviews that he frequently undertakes and the political comment that he makes. There is an issue to consider here in relation to a person being paid and making the sorts of comments that he does, and the appropriateness of that action, given that he is paid for by the taxpayer.
Those last few points reflect the attitude of this government. They were further reflected, in fact, in the structure of this parliament that was introduced by this Labor government. We are indebted to you, Madam Speaker, for seeing some of that corrected. From the point of view of the ministerial reports that this open, honest and accountable government introduced, nowhere else in Australia does a circumstance of that kind exist that this government introduced. It must have given you great cause for concern - and I daresay the Clerk - in considering that and programming the parliamentary schedule in the way that this government wanted to proceed and, in fact, did proceed.
That is a demonstration which is of great concern at this early stage of the new government, and it paints a picture of what levels of arrogance it is going to achieve over the next four years if it can achieve that within the first few weeks of its government life.
In terms of the House, I would like to think that there will be improved opportunities for more open debate. The fact that Question Time has been moved to the afternoon has not assisted the media, and they will recognise that, in fact, already are in terms of the progamming and the work that they have to do to be able to get television footage, get it to air and the news bulletins organised. It is simply a means of a scared government trying to manipulate the parliamentary process, where the information is held back in order that the performance of ministers in this House is held from the public.
In terms of the performance of ministers, I will make a prediction that this government will not be able to sustain a ministry of seven. It is just nonsensical - you might squeeze away with eight. I speak with some experience in this regard about workloads and the ability to be able to liaise with industry in an effective way. I predict that, at some time, the government has to go to a ministry of at least eight, perhaps nine. Do not be afraid of doing it, I would say to the Chief Minister, because it is inevitable if you are to have an effective government. It would be much better in terms of the Territory, the servicing of industry and community organisations, from the point of view of a ministry.
I speak already of complaints from constituents who are seeking appointments with ministers, one of whom was told that he can have an appointment in February after great difficulty in even getting a response from the minister’s office. That is but one example that is coming from the public and, particularly, the business community. If that is a reflection on the performance of this government, then the Territory has a lot to be concerned about. I would ask the Chief Minister to put aside any concerns she might have about having to step aside from an announced policy of a ministry of seven and be appropriate about it in terms of workload and responses to the community.
Madam Speaker, with those comments, I close my contribution to the Address-In-Reply for this parliamentary term.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, it does give me great pleasure to reflect on the opening of the parliament on Tuesday 16 October, unlike the member for Katherine, who did not seem to give great pleasure in any aspect of what's happened over the last three months.
For my family and myself, it was a very rewarding day, and for Labor supporters it was an emotional sitting of parliament and a day that, for so many years, they had waited for and I am sure won’t forget.
More importantly, people returned to the parliament, and didn’t they return in numbers? Territorians filled the House and, along with most of you here today, created history and witnessed history and were part of a special day for the Territory. I hope we can maintain some of that interest over coming years and bring back people to witness the process of parliament.
I would like to pass on my appreciation to all members who contributed to the Address-In-Reply. No one could forget the member for Arafura’s emotional address or the number of nudes encountered by the member for Nightcliff, which gained her some amazing level of national and, I think, international attention.
I thank everyone for their efforts on that day and in the days that followed. I do thank the members of the opposition, although it would have been nice to have a more positive contribution. I think the one we just heard from the member for Katherine indicates a …
Dr Toyne: Dog in the manger.
Ms MARTIN: I thank the member for Stuart - a dog in the manger attitude.
I note today that the Leader of the Opposition promised, at the time of his Address-In-Reply, that the CLP or the opposition would not be whingeing and whining in opposition. I place on record that I hope he and his party do a better job of following that promise more closely in future, and that bipartisan support is possible on projects important to the Territory.
I raised the point today that we have a budget situation that is unsustainable. We are addressing that, and rather than hear the sniping that is coming from the opposition, why not join us in a bipartisan way and say: ‘Yes, we are tackling it together’? But I suppose that that was too much to hope for.
I noted the Leader of the Opposition’s comments in his speech, wishing the best to the member for Wanguri in his task of bringing gas onshore. He said at the time that we face difficulties but it is not a time for criticism, but a time to get on with it. I hope that the Opposition Leader and the rest of the opposition does follow those words and support this government. It is not about this government though, it is about the Territory, getting gas to the beach here in Darwin. It does hold such hope for our future, getting gas on the beach. The possibilities that it holds for industrial development are enormous. We are working very hard, but we would like to think that this is a bipartisan effort. You certainly will not hear us sniping at the opposition about this.
One of the truly memorable parts of that first sitting of parliament was that it symbolised how much we have renewed the relationship with East Timor. It was great to have Chief Minister Designate, Dr Mari Alkatiri, here for those first sittings. I think he will carry away with him the cheer that he got when he was recognised. Certainly, we are very proud of our newest nation neighbour and will work closely with them in everything that does touch both of us. That relationship, obvious at that time, has certainly been nurtured over the last couple of months.
Today marks three months to the day since this new government was sworn into office. We have not done 100 days in office yet, but we have certainly done three months. It is good to note, since I made that Address-In-Reply speech, what this government has done. There are some things that I would like to point to. We did, in that first sitting of parliament, introduce our six-point property crime plan and the legislation underpinning that, and we did repeal the ineffective mandatory sentencing. We introduced, in that same session of parliament, draft Freedom of Information laws, and they will be out for community comment over the next few months. We have begun a review of parliamentary procedures so that we can make parliament more reflective of the important aspects of what we do in here, and that is legislation. I think that is already established - we have worked with our parliamentary reports and, certainly, as the Leader of Government Business indicated this morning, we are very happy to keep working with those reports so that we do have an effective part of this parliamentary process. We have improved the structure and the workability of government agencies, and I am certainly very proud of what we have done over the last few weeks in doing that.
We have opened parliament to the media, allowing the filming of Question Time. It was curious that the member for Katherine seemed to think that we are closing down on what parliament is doing. I would have thought allowing cameras in here to film Question Time is certainly opening up parliament to Territorians. I hope that the filming of Question Time will encourage Territorians to come and be part of the parliamentary process and while we are sitting, to join us in here.
Another significant milestone for this government occurred here in parliament in the days following my Address-In-Reply speech, with this government offering an apology to the Stolen Generation. I believe and hope that that day will serve as a milestone for race relations in the Territory. I was proud to apologise on behalf of this government, and enjoyed the full support of my Labor colleagues. I think anyone sitting in the House on that day, with the galleries full of those who were affected by those Stolen Generation policies would appreciate how important a day that was. I think some of the speeches we will remember for many years to come. I pay particular tribute to the member for Arafura and, certainly, the members for Millner and Barkly whose speeches really made an impact on this House, and on this side of the House particularly. It was important to acknowledge the injustices perpetrated against the first Australians. To this day, I certainly remain disappointed that the opposition did not support our sorry motion. I think that we saw that in those who came here in the House for that important day, that that lack of support will be remembered.
This Chamber, since that Address-In-Reply, has also served an important purpose, earlier this month hosting the Economic Development Summit. The summit attracted business leaders and community leaders from right around the Territory and resulted in a communiqu on how to rejuvenate the Territory economy. The mini-budget that we have seen in here today has certainly recognised the importance of that economic summit. I believe the summit created a link between business, the non-government sector, the community sector and this government, and will result in an ongoing partnership between private and public sectors which are crucial to the development of the Territory. The summit highlighted problems but then moved forward on ways to address them. One of the most significant parts of the summit was the fact that all participants at the summit recognised the importance of indigenous economic development. The Communiqu certainly did that. We had major players in indigenous and non-indigenous development in the Territory actually communicating, many of them for the first time.
As I did during my Address-In-Reply speech, I would like to express my thanks to the Territory’s public service. The professional and constant support this government has received has been greatly appreciated. The public service has adapted to a change in administration and, I am sure, will adjust to any future changes. One of this government’s initiatives has been the restructure of the public service from 35 agencies to 18, and I acknowledge the contribution and the constructive support and comments from the people this touches most, our public sector employees. I believe the public sector restructure will create a more efficient, effective and enjoyable workplace for the Territory’s almost 14 500 public servants. With their support, this will succeed in resulting better service delivery to customers and employment opportunities for staff.
I would like to place on the record my thanks to those public servants who assisted with this process of the restructure. It was done in the most professional and efficient manner, and I think that the information delivered to public servants on the day of the restructure - what was there on the Intranet and the letters that went to public servants - paved the way for the success that restructure has been. I know from many public servants, it simply represents a change of agency name but there are some who will have to move their offices. We are hoping this will be somewhere between 100 and 200, so a very minimal disruption. The information that all public servants received certainly meant that they were able to understand the rationale for the restructure. The feedback has been extraordinarily positive - a very tiny per cent of negative feedback.
Finally, with much talk of budgets and economic uncertainty in the Territory’s future, it was with great pleasure that earlier this month I attended the arrival of the first rail in Alice Springs from Whyalla. Two thousand tonnes of steel arrived at Roe Creek and was loaded onto specially-designed road trains bound for Tennant Creek and Katherine, the first of 145 000 tonnes of steel that will be arriving in the coming months. Importantly, more than 500 people are now employed on the Alice Springs to Darwin railway, including many indigenous Territorians, and that work is now gathering momentum. We will see a lull during the Wet Season and work will really start to gather momentum from next April when the tracks begin to get laid. Hundreds of kilometres of land have been cleared and the embankment built up. Before too long that track will start to be laid and it will be a very exciting time for the Territory. In this talk of difficult economic times, the railway is a very strong sign of the hope for the future and it certainly highlights the potential that is here in the Territory.
This government faces many more challenges in the future, delivering on that potential. We are likely to face a tough economic environment over the next 18 months. Today, I again confirm our commitment to the Territory and the hard work ahead. I thank everyone in this House for their contribution to this Address-In-Reply. It is an important moment for this parliament. It is an important moment for this new Labor government after nearly 27 years of the previous administration. Listening to those speeches right around the House, there was a sense of excitement about the next four years certainly reflected by government members. I wish everyone well. I hope our deliberations will be constructive and this will truly be the Territory’s foremost debating Chamber where legislation will have the highest priority and bipartisanship and partnerships will be something that the next four years will be remembered for.
Motion agreed to; report adopted.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, it is my intention to present the Address-In-Reply to His Honour the Administrator, at approximately 11.30 am tomorrow, Wednesday 28 November. I invite all members to accompany me to Government House to present the address. I think you have a notice of that already in your papers.
Continued from 18 October 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, the second reading speech which the Attorney-General dutifully read out seems fairly straightforward on the face of the document. However, I have examined the bill and there are a number of observations I wish to draw to the Chamber’s attention.
In summary, there is a concern in relation to the proposed section 32, that is the scope of appeals which are allowed after the final order of a magistrate and secondly, the res judicata provision contained in section 19. I will deal with them separately. These are probably matters that I can ask very specific questions of the Attorney-General when we go into committee. He can walk through the legislation and explain what he means when he uses some of the terms contained in that document.
By way of background, honourable members will be aware that the Small Claims Court is the people’s court and citizens are entitled to go before that court, whether it is constituted by a magistrate or a registrar, and have disputes on issues that have to be determined before a hearing resolved one way or the other. I accept that there is currently some ambiguity about where an appeal exactly lies to, that is, either to a single judge in the Supreme Court or magistrate. That is the purpose of this proposed bill, to remedy that ambiguity.
An appeal from, for example, the Local Court which is constituted by a single magistrate can be on a number of grounds and they are clearly set out in the Local Court Act. Section 32 of this proposed bill attempts to set out clearly the restrictions or constraints which parliament sees fit to impose on an appeal from a magistrate to a single judge of the Supreme Court. Perhaps I can draw the Attorney-General’s attention specifically to section 32. Applying a literal interpretation - and I know that it is a lot - clearly there are two limbs and it says:
(1) A party to the proceedings may appeal to the Supreme Court on one or both of the
following grounds:
(a) that an order made in those proceedings by a magistrate is wrong on
a question of law.
That is the classic error of law ground. Whilst I am not completely satisfied with the use of the word ‘wrong’ in this context, I will concede of course that the act is designed to be written in plain English. But the second limb is the difficulty.
The second limb, if an aggrieved party wishes to rely upon, enables them to appeal to the Supreme Court that the conduct of the proceedings was unfair. In my view, that is no limitation whatsoever. It is treating the decision of the magistrate as a preliminary decision. There is no finality to the proceedings if I, once my matter has been heard and determined by a magistrate, can turn around and say: ‘Look, I think I was treated unfairly because my witnesses weren’t believed and the other guy’s were’. Then you are cast into the arena of having to fund an appeal to the Supreme Court. In my view, the use of the separate disjunctive limb that the conduct of the proceedings was unfair is no limitation and does not prevent anybody appealing on any ground which they, in their subjective opinion, see fit.
The other matter I wish to raise is that I was aware, of course, that the provisions contained in the old section 19 had created some difficulties. That is the res judicata provisions when a decision has been made in the Small Claims Court then, in certain situations subject to this act, that is a final decision and the parties are bound by that decision. In other words, you can’t go off and commence litigation. You are dealing with the same set of facts when you have had the matter heard and determined by a magistrate unless you exercise your rights of appeal pursuant to the Small Claims Act.
I am concerned by the use of the phrase ‘(whether under this act or any other law)’ not only from a drafting perspective through the use of brackets, but also I am interested to know what the Attorney-General understands the effect that the legislation will have and whether he thinks it is going to have any effect on, for example, proceedings under a Commonwealth act
Dr Toyne: Could you locate that in the bill for us just so we know where you are referring to?
Mr MALEY: In the bill it is section 4. It is the new section 19:
Repeal and Substitution
The top of page 2 contains that specific quote.
Dr Toyne: Yes, got it.
Mr MALEY: Subject to a satisfactory explanation being provided by the Attorney-General in the committee stage, the opposition at this stage cannot support the bill in its current form.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Speaker, as the Attorney-General has just stated, the purpose of these bills is to clarify that appeals from decisions of the Registrar in small claims proceedings including final decisions go to a magistrate and not to the Supreme Court under section 19 of the Local Court Act. This will have a number of effects on parties involved in small claims matters which will be of great benefit to parties involved. It will allow parties to appeal a decision and continue proceedings in the magistrate’s court. The nature of the small claims is for the matter to be heard in circumstances where both parties are satisfied that they will receive a just hearing while ensuring that the cost of proceedings will be contained.
It will assist in creating an appeal structure for small claims matters in the Small Claims Act. It will also allow decisions of magistrates to be heard by Supreme Court judges on appeal. This will simplify matters for parties in small claims matters and achieve the objective of containing the costs of both parties. The amendment bill introduced today is a commonsense approach to dealing with small claims matters. It shows the government is working towards solving real problems that people face within their communities.
The last matter I would like to address in regards to the Small Claims Amendment Bill is section 20 which pertains to a matter of particular importance for parties involved in small claims. That is the right of a party to apply for a re-hearing. This is of particular importance to parties who maintain English as a second language. Although section 20 covers a number of scenarios, it is my experience that parties to proceedings who maintain English as a second language do, on occasions, fail to file a Notice of Defence or to appear due to their limited understanding of court proceedings.
The fact that English is a second language often lead some people into matters that result in small claims actions through no fault of their own. I believe that the amendments being debated today show a commonsense approach to law reform with the view to maintaining fairness and cost effectiveness for all Territorians.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I am quite happy to deal with the shadow’s points as we go into committee. At this stage, I want to reiterate that the intent of the two bills we have before us is to provide a simple sequence of hearings by which small claims can be determined.
We will deal with the points that are of a more definitional matter in committee. I take your position as stated at this stage, and let us go into committee and see what you want to do.
Motion agreed to; bills read a second time.
In committee:
Small Claims Amendment Bill:
Clauses 2 and 3, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 4:
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, can you explain to this Chamber the rationale behind the proposed section 19, and why you didn’t instruct your counsel to have two subsections which would avoid the use of those brackets and make the intention of the legislation clearer?
Dr TOYNE: Yes. My information is that this part of the bill was requested directly by the Chief Magistrate. He wanted the bill to make it very clear, by retaining that statement in section 19, that the parties cannot commence another action for the same cause either under the Small Claims Act or Local Court Act. It basically confines the action to the jurisdiction until such time as the grounds of an appeal are settled.
Section 19 stated that the judgment is final and conclusive and could not start another proceeding - this was in the original act. It was felt that there wasn’t enough certainty that the jurisdiction hearing the matter could retain the statement with that wording in the act. The bill actually makes that distinction: that it has to be not only retained in that jurisdiction, but can’t be restarted in another one while at that stage of the process.
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, I don’t have a copy of the old provision before me. I understand the difficulty which the Chief Magistrate said that he was labouring under. I do not understand why you could not more clearly and concisely have another subsection under section 19 which would state categorically - and there being no ambiguity at all - that it is not capable of recommencing proceedings in another court dealing with the same set of facts. I am just concerned about your use of the brackets here which is something I am informed parliamentary draftsmen try to avoid at all costs.
Dr TOYNE: Just to throw further light on it, I will read from my committee notes here, too, to give you what I have been provided with in the way of a written briefing.
The new section 19 omits the words that ‘a judgment of the court is final and conclusive’ while retaining the statement to the effect that if the court makes a final order in proceedings, a party may not commence or continue any other proceedings in any court for the same cause or matter. So that is what is being conveyed in the draft bill that we are debating today.
I want to break away to make a more broad statement about our relationship. I made it pretty clear in the last sittings that if you have concerns about bills that are going through parliament, I am very pleased to take away suggested amendments in writing and have them assessed and make changes to the legislation. If you want to take that offer up - which I made very clearly in the last sittings - rather than bringing in last minute and verbal objections to a bill at the time we are debating it - it is simply not possible to go through a redrafting process if you are bringing up matters in this way. I am quite happy to work in a collaborative way on legitimate things that you want to bring up in terms of drafted legislation.
You could actually change bills that we put through this parliament. I give you the undertaking that if there is a legitimate amendment brought up that we can assess, go to the Parliamentary Counsel, adjust the bill if it is a valid point, you can actually have that influence on the legislation. By choosing to go through the process as you are doing today and as you did in the last sittings, it makes it almost impossible for us to make adjustments.
Mr MALEY: I wish to make some general observations directed to the Attorney-General. You are the Attorney-General. This is your legislation. I am quite entitled to ask you to explain why you have drafted a particular provision in a particular way. You instruct counsel to draft this, no one else does. It is your responsibility. This is a slightly different scenario with this particular act because I have had it for a month or so. But the last legislation we dealt with a month or so ago, they were all matters dealt with on urgency and there were matters that were of real concern in that legislation. There simply was not enough time to forward the appropriate correspondence to you and then for you to get the advice from your counsel.
So any comfort you think you are going to get by saying that it is more appropriate that I direct my concerns in writing to you in relation to the matters you pass through on urgency are really going to fall upon deaf ears. You should have a close look and a long think about what you are saying. I have nothing further to say in respect of section 19.
Dr TOYNE: I have one thing further to say about this. This bill is not being done on urgency. You have been aware of it for quite some time. You have had the offer, an open offer, to get a briefing at any time from the policy division that has developed this legislation. I believe that if you are going to do your job properly, you need to avail yourself of those mechanisms and bring back written amendments to us that we can properly evaluate.
Further to the point about the brackets, they are not unusual for Parliamentary Counsel to use, a useful drafting technique if you want to embody an additional idea within a sentence within the bill. What we are looking at here is wording and grammar and punctuation. The Parliamentary Counsel does not act alone. They seek advice on the intent of the wording that has been put into bills. I have to take it that that advice has been given properly to the Parliamentary Counsel and that the bills that I receive are grammatically, and in the verbiage of the bill, transmitting the meaning that is intended to go into the law. Now, as I said, human beings are fallible. You may well bring up some matters that we can have a look at to see if there is a valid way of changing the drafted intention.
I am making that offer to you. I am not going to sit here and discuss the dictionary definitions and the grammatical forms without any expert advice available to me and with no possibility of redrafting the bill on the spot.
Mr MALEY: You are the Attorney-General for the Northern Territory. You are the number one law man. You cannot pass the buck. Nothing I have said should be taken, in any way, to reflect badly upon counsel or any legal practitioners. My comments are directed to you. You are responsible; you have to take responsibility. If you are not across your brief to check these things then perhaps you should consider talking to some of your colleagues who are qualified, or taking some advice and listening to that advice.
I can put this on the record: I am going to continue to have a close look at things and if I think there is an ambiguity, I am going to walk you through every piece of legislation, no matter how long it takes. If I think there is something which is worthy of an amendment, then I will - and you will probably recall, the opposition do have limited resources - if it is of substance and I have the time, of course, I will instruct counsel and present an amendment. But for the purposes of walking you through your legislation which you instructed your counsel to prepare, do not be under any misapprehension this will occur. I will look closely at anything that you table in this parliament.
Dr TOYNE: I have to say again by all means, let us go through this meticulously, but let us use a process that can actually have benefit to the legislation. That is what I am saying. You have had several weeks on this bill. You have had plenty of opportunities to come to us with suggestions for written changes to the bill. I am quite happy to go through as much detail as you like. In fact, I have a similar reputation in this House for being pretty meticulous and thorough about bringing the matters that I have carriage of bringing in to this Chamber. My colleagues can certainly attest to that. I am not talking about your right to go over the proposals in these bills. What I am talking about is that there is a creative, constructive way of doing that, and that is what I am commending to you.
I am certainly giving you an undertaking that on my part, I will respond positively to any written amendments that could improve the bills that are going before this House. That is all I am saying. I am not denying either your right to raise matters or the right to debate in this House. I am actually giving you an opportunity to influence the legislation.
Clause 4 agreed to.
Clause 5 agreed to.
Clause 6:
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, if the decision of a magistrate in the Small Claims Court is subject to the type of appeals which you have foreshadowed in section 32, that is, the conduct of the proceedings was unfair, don’t you agree that would make his decision nothing more than a preliminary determination subject to appeal by anything an aggrieved party can reduce to writing? Do you understand the nature of my query?
Dr Toyne: Yes, I do.
Mr MALEY: You have here that if I am upset with what occurs in the Small Claims Court, then section 32(1)(b) says that I can appeal to the Supreme Court if I think the conduct of the proceedings was unfair. So, I am involved in a dispute with you and for whatever reason, something goes against me. I just say: ‘Look, that’s unfair’ and suddenly both you and I are in the Supreme Court which involves, of course, legal costs, rules and time and expense. If you are going to have a provision which dictates in what circumstances you can appeal, then normally you would think there should be some sort of limitation on the number of appeals, or the type of appeals which can come from a court.
Dr TOYNE: You are referring to the use of subsection (b) of section 32, that the conduct of the proceedings are unfair, which you raised in the earlier part of the debate. Perhaps I can reassure you that in the Local Court Act - which is the other principal act that we are dealing with - on page 8, section 19(4)(b) are exactly those words: ‘the conduct of the proceedings was unfair’. This is extant law. It has been used in our Local Court system for some time. If the concerns that you have are that we are going to create some new status in the judgments of the Local Court, then I would have thought we would have seen a major problem in that area beforehand. That certainly was not pointed out to us during the consultation process that preceded the drafting.
There are other constraints. In terms of will someone push a matter up to the Supreme Court? Yes, they have the capacity to do that but it does cost a lot of money. It takes a lot of time out of your life and potentially, you could end up further behind than when you started. People make these judgments all the time about how far to pursue their interests through the legal process. I can only say that it was not identified as a major problem in moving into the drafting of this bill.
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, I accept that section 19 of the Local Court Act reflects a similar provision. You have just copied that and whacked it straight in here. I want to make it clear that you understand what this provision means. Another example is that the first limb says that an order made in those proceedings by a magistrate ‘is wrong on a question of law’. You are talking about the decision of a member of the judiciary and describing it as wrong. Isn’t the normal terminology - and certainly in more recent acts of parliament, the reference is to ‘an error of law’. You have just adopted, wholus-bolus and put it in its unchanged form in section 32. Do you think that the use of the word ‘wrong’ in describing a decision made by a magistrate is appropriate?
Dr TOYNE: I can only ask what word are you suggesting we use?
Mr MALEY: Normally, you would say he has made a mistake or an error of law. Magistrates make errors; they are not wrong. You do not describe the decision made by a judicial officer as wrong. There can be errors and there are more appropriate ways to reflect. I know what you are trying to say; you have just said it very clumsily.
Dr TOYNE: When I grew up and went to school, in error or making an error is the same as being wrong. I think that if the word conveys the concept that we are trying to get into the legislation, let it convey it. I am happy with ‘wrong’, quite frankly. As an academic, I think that very much conveys the grounds for which an appeal could be pursued. The magistrate got it wrong, big deal. It just says that like any other human being, there is a fallibility there.
Mr ELFERINK: The Attorney-General, I am sure, would be in a position to describe to the House that it is possible to err in law, as well as in fact, and that they are two separate ideas.
Dr TOYNE: I did not catch that, sorry, member for Macdonnell.
Mr ELFERINK: The Attorney-General would, of course, be able to describe to this House a situation where it is possible to err in law as well as it is possible to err in fact. Could he, with that in mind, outline to us whether we are talking about wrong on a question of law, or wrong in terms of the facts alone? It deals with ‘wrong in a question of law’.
Dr TOYNE: I think it is clear in the bill. It says it is considered that he may have been wrong on a question of law, not on fact. The words are there.
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, I want to make it clear. You have turned your mind to using other terminology such as ‘error of law’. Despite the remonstrations from the opposition that it is discourteous to describe the decision of a magistrate as merely wrong, you are saying that you are happy with the current drafting, and you are not going to consider reviewing that decision. Is that what you are saying?
Dr TOYNE: I am saying that to me, you are not raising an issue at all. I think it is plain English. That the basis of the appeal is that someone believes that the magistrate has been wrong on a question of law. That is what the words say. I am quite happy with them. I do not see that as any more insulting than saying the magistrate is in error. In fact, I do not find either construction particularly insulting. It simply says that there would not be an appeal process if it was assumed that the magistrate could never be wrong or in error. But there is an appeal process. It assumes that courts occasionally - and I think it is occasional - get judgements wrong and that there needs to be the process of an appeal. That is all this is setting up.
Clause 6 agreed to.
Clauses 7 and 8 agreed to.
Clause 1 agreed to.
Title agreed to.
Local Court Amendment Bill:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bills reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
Mr HENDERSON (Tourism): Madam Speaker, this afternoon I rise to make a statement on the current state of the aviation industry in the Northern Territory, in particular to update Territorians and honourable members concerning developments since the October sittings. In essence, air services break down the tyranny of distance and isolation factors that all Territorians face on a daily basis. It is also the mode of transport that brings so many tourists from all parts of the world to experience the joys of the Territory and our treasured lifestyle at first hand.
During the October sittings, my predecessor as Minister for Tourism, the member for Nhulunbuy, informed the Assembly and Territorians of the decisive and extremely effective actions taken by this government to counter the collapse of Ansett and its impact on tourism in the Northern Territory. I remind honourable members that Ansett previously provided 43% of the domestic passenger capacity for the Territory, and provided a number of services to regional centres such as Gove and Groote Eylandt through air service providers Airnorth and Flight West. Ansett Australia Cargo consigned between 60% and 80% of air-freighted perishable goods destined for the domestic market.
Now, some 10 weeks after Ansett ceased serving the Territory, I can report that air services are beginning to meet demand in the market place. If we compare the demand for passenger seats last year to the number of seats available now, Darwin has seen a full reinstatement of direct interstate passenger capacity; Alice Springs will have approximately 95% of capacity compared with its December 2000 demand in December this year; Ayers Rock is close to 95% of capacity; and Gove has approximately 90%. The Gove statistics were worrying for residents, Gove businesses, this government and, in particular, the member for Nhulunbuy. We have worked hard to resolve the matter and we were extremely pleased when Airnorth commenced daily services to Gove and then through to Cairns at the end of October.
Unfortunately, the Gove to Cairns sector has suffered unsustainable low passenger loads. Only two passengers flew over this sector between 26 October and 12 November, and only one passenger flew on the reverse journey. It seems that the passenger demand is being met by capacity available on QantasLink. The Airnorth Gove-Cairns service will be withdrawn effective 2 December. However, Airnorth will still operate four weekly services between Darwin and Gove. I believe that the Airnorth experience has justified this government’s decision to ask that a route have proven demand and demonstrated commercial viability before committing substantial funds to service the operation. The government had been approached by several parties wanting to engage higher cost airlines than Airnorth on the Gove-Cairns route. No detailed business proposal to justify such expenditure has ever been put to this government.
It is unlikely that we will see Ansett #2 operate in the Territory until the sale of Ansett has been completed. It is encouraging to see that we are approaching that point now. It is disappointing for all of us, particularly for the staff of Ansett who had submitted a proposal to the Administrator that would have seen Ansett return to the Territory albeit on a reduced schedule. The situation with regard to the sale or otherwise of Ansett remains extremely fluid, but I think we are getting there.
The Territory government is supporting Ansett employees, through the Employee Assistance Service, in retraining and skills identification to enable them to gain further meaningful employment. The best result, of course, would be if these employees could get their jobs back with whoever ends up running Ansett #2. However, in the absence of any settlement of this issue we can only encourage the federal government to make good on their promise to look after the Ansett workers and their families who have been caught up in this tragic corporate failure.
Virgin Blue was to commence flying between Brisbane and Darwin in March 2002, but we will see Virgin Blue in Territory skies much earlier, commencing late December this year. The additional capacity is welcomed, coming just before the Christmas season and providing additional capacity to rebuild our travel markets into the New Year.
We need to remember that passenger capacity demands this year are not the same as last year. As all honourable members would acknowledge, the events of 11 September in the United States and the countermeasures by the International Coalition Against Terrorism have changed the face of the world forever. The impact on the aviation industry alone has been enormous and all forecasts indicate a bleak industry outlook over at least the next two years. I read some figures the other day that stated that over 250 000 people worldwide have lost their jobs in the aviation industry since the 11 September terrorist attack.
Without doubt, the world is witnessing an evolutionary period in the aviation industry, where only the strongest and most efficient will survive. This fact is reinforced by prominent analysts who predict significant rationalisation of international airline carriers to as few as 10 within the short to medium term.
Australia’s domestic aviation industry has not been immune to these events. Whilst factors contributing to Ansett’s demise may have been well in train before the terrorist activities of 11 September, the ability to resurrect or reinvent Ansett has been greatly affected. Likewise, the impact has not been spared on regional aviation. Australia is not an island when it comes to the impact on our aviation industry from the affects of international terrorism.
Tourism is the Territory’s second largest revenue earner after the mining industry. In 2000-01, visitors to the Northern Territory accounted for $936m in direct expenditure. Economic activity generated by tourists, the flow-on effect, expands this figure to $1.563bn. The tourism industry is also the Territory’s single largest employer accounting for around 8100 jobs directly, and a further 3500 jobs indirectly. The collapse of Ansett compounded the effect of international events on the airline industry in Australia, and hence on the tourism industry in the Northern Territory. The Territory government has had to take quick and decisive action to counter the disastrous effects of the combined events of that black week in September on our economy.
Under the capable direction of my predecessor, the member for Nhulunbuy, the government began immediate negotiations with airlines to increase air capacity into and out of the Territory. We successfully negotiated with the federal government to permit cabotage arrangements for Malaysia Airlines and Royal Brunei. This short term measure provided an extra 70-100 seats between Darwin and Brisbane and Darwin and Cairns. The government is committed to keeping existing international carriers flying into Darwin wherever possible, and we will work with Darwin Airport and the airline industry to attract further international carriers into the Territory when the international airline industry picks up in the future.
Through constant lobbying of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the federal government finally provided assistance which has facilitated the early arrival of Virgin Blue into the Northern Territory with the first service due into Darwin in late December. I acknowledge and welcome the federal government’s contribution. Virgin Blue is also examining incorporating Alice Springs into a future schedule. I met with senior management of Virgin Blue in Darwin last week to discuss these issues and implore them to put Alice Springs on their schedule and whilst no commitments can be made at this stage, talks are productive and ongoing.
As a result of ongoing lobbying, Qantas announced the introduction of an extra daily B737 service between Darwin and Cairns which will further alleviate the capacity issue between Gove and Cairns. It also announced the re-routing of the Ayers Rock-Sydney Boeing 737 service via Alice Springs for 11 days in December to cater for school and Christmas holiday traffic. The Chairman of the NT Aviation Committee has met with the CEO of Australian Airlines, Qantas’ new low cost carrier, and has a commitment that Darwin is very much on its radar for a possible expanded future service.
Honourable members would be aware that Airnorth had previously been contracted by Ansett to operate services between Darwin and Groote Eylandt. On the day of Ansett’s collapse Anindilyakwa Air stepped in immediately and increased their weekly services over the route from four up to 10, and I applaud them for taking this brave commercial action. Even with this increase in frequency, the route was suffering capacity limitations. This government was able to facilitate Airnorth returning to the route within two days with support from the federal government’s Rapid Route Recovery Scheme.
I understand that Airnorth’s strategy is to consolidate their fleet to aircraft providing 19 or more seats. This means Airnorth is gradually withdrawing from remote community routes where smaller, low-cost base aircraft would operate more efficiently. The unfortunate events of September hastened this resolve, but I am pleased to inform the Assembly that suitable operators have taken up the services. Murin Air takes on Minjalang and Warruwi; Wimray is operating to Bathurst Island, Garden Point and Snake Bay; Anindilyakwa Air picks up Boorooloola, Ngukurr and Numbulwar; and Janami Air services Kalkaringi and Lajamanu. Airnorth continues to operate the centre run through Katherine and Tennant Creek as well as serving Galiwinku, Ramingining and Milingimbi.
I am advised that interstate air freight continues to move well through the Australian Air Express cargo sheds, generally within 12 to 24 hours of acceptance. The occasional delay in clearing the backlog of cargo is more likely attributable to a seasonal glut than the Ansett crisis. In fact, since the end of October, our overall freight capacity for the Territory has increased by 12% - 435.4 tonnes weekly in November compared with 387.05 tonnes weekly in October.
There is no doubt that air services play an integral role in the continued social and economic development of the Northern Territory, a point well made and recognised at the recent Economic Development Summit. This government has heard the concerns of Northern Territorians and the businesses that participated in the summit. The government acknowledges the short-term aviation issue, detailed in the summit Communiqu, that it is important to restore and improve air services to those areas still affected by the demise of Ansett.
The Northern Territory government is doing all it can to maximise the number of seats available into the Territory. However, international tourist demand is the major factor which will influence the number of tourists coming to the Territory in the next 12 months. The Australian Bureau of Statistics releases monthly data on the number of arrivals to Australia. Information for October this year has recently been released. For the 10 months from January to October, total overseas arrivals were marginally higher than the same 10 months to last year. For the month of October, total overseas arrivals were down by 16% compared with October 2000. Overseas arrivals were also lower than during October 1999, but higher than arrivals during October 1998.
Comparing January-October 2001 with the same 10 months in 2000, arrivals from the UK were up 9%. The NT market share is around 20%, that is 20% of those visiting Australia will also visit the NT as part of their trip. Arrivals from USA and Canada were down 4%, the NT market share of this group is 12%. Arrivals from Japan were up 1%, NT market share of this market is around 7%. Arrivals from New Zealand were down 7%, and our market share there is 3%. Comparing the month of October 2001 with the month of October 2000, arrivals from Japan were down 25%, arrivals from USA and Canada were down 22%, arrivals from New Zealand were down 22%, arrivals from the UK were down 5%, and arrivals from Germany were up 7%.
The US terrorist attacks have clearly impacted on both the USA and the Japanese markets. Arrivals from Germany remain strong, although the UK market is weakening. Arrivals from New Zealand dropped dramatically during October 2001 as a result of the Ansett Airlines collapse and uncertainty surrounding Air New Zealand, and have continued the downward trend evidenced since March 2001.
Obviously, in the face of such massive swings in international tourist travel, the tourism industry in the Northern Territory will face tough times in the short to medium term. However, I am pleased to say that in the short period I have been Minister for Tourism I have met with members of the Australian Tourism Export Council in Darwin, with the Central Australian Tourism Industry Association in Alice Springs, and our international representatives from the UK, Germany, USA and Japan to discuss the current state and prospects for tourism industry in the Northern Territory.
I am pleased to say that despite the challenges facing the tourism industry both here and internationally, tourism operators are pulling together cooperatively to work through this lull and to position the industry to take advantage of the Northern Territory’s competitive position in the international tourism market. We are a safe destination. We have great product to sell and we have great people in the tourist industry to sell it.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I thank the new minister for his statement and I welcome it, but I note with interest that it’s headed ‘Aviation Update’ and not ‘Tourism Update’. That is unfortunate given some of the difficulties experienced in the present climate because I, and no doubt other Territorians, would like to hear of the government’s plans for rebuilding and otherwise generally assisting the tourism industry in this particularly sensitive climate.
I note that the minister did not address in his statement the issue of the potential sale of a controlling interest in Virgin Blue. The Lang Corp-Virgin Blue relationship looks as though it might not proceed in respect of the purchase of Ansett. However, of course, that may not be the end of the issue of a sale of a controlling interest. I assume, therefore, that the minister is confident that the possible eventual sale of a 51% share of Virgin Blue will have no adverse consequences to the Northern Territory government’s deal with the airline. It does beg the question: is the government confident that its subsidy deal with Virgin Blue is binding on any potential owner and what, if any, discussions has it had with Virgin Blue in that regard?
The minister’s statement, I am pleased to see, gives credit to the Coalition government for securing Virgin Blue flights to the Territory in late December. I understood that that, in fact, was on the Chief Minister’s agenda following the collapse of Ansett. It leads to the conclusion that either the Chief Minister did nothing towards securing Virgin Blue early or she failed miserably in her attempts. In any event, it took John Anderson and the Coalition government to make it happen. It was the federal Coalition that gave Territorians the opportunity to fly to Brisbane in January and February for less than $250, not the Northern Territory government.
The minister’s statement refers to capacity being almost at the same levels as it was prior to 11 September and prior to the collapse of Ansett. Whilst this does appear to be the case, this is not in any way, as a result of the government’s efforts. Rather, it is the result of the federal government and Qantas filling the gaps.
A significant problem also, interestingly, not touched upon in the statement is the issue of affordability. Of course, if there is no recognition of affordability being a problem, I suppose it is hardly surprising that no answers have been announced or foreshadowed in the minister’s statement. The fact of the matter is that if there is space on a plane - and, happily, that seems to be increasingly the case - many Territorians cannot afford to buy that space because they cannot afford a ticket. I know of many Territory families - and no doubt other members of this House do, as well - who ordinarily fly interstate at Christmas. Now they must drive because they cannot afford the cost of the air fare for them and their family.
This, of course, for all of us in the Territory, limits our time away from the Territory on holidays given the vast distances we all travel. People cannot afford to buy tickets. This problem must be addressed by government. I am saddened that it has not been referred to in the minister’s statement. The bottom line is that the price of travel to and from the Territory after 11 September and after the collapse of Ansett is a sad and sorry story.
I won’t go as far as accusing Qantas of taking an unfair advantage from the demise of its major competitor, but I do not think anyone regards the current air fares as justified. Qantas seems to be constantly at war with the ACCC and I suspect that this will continue in respect of fair pricing.
Territorians, especially, are vulnerable to high air fare prices and, consequently, there is, I believe, an expectation that your government will do something to assist Territorians who travel. What is government doing about offering incentives to the travelling public? The fact that the statement makes no mention of such initiatives suggests that none indeed exist. This is simply not good enough in the current climate.
We all hope that the reconfiguring of the Australian aviation industry will produce more competitive fares and more traveller friendly timetables, but I suspect that many of us are not holding our breath. For my part, I hope that this government does something, in the meantime, and I urge it to do so.
The tourism industry is having a hard time and I am sure that we all agree on that. The minister outlined the declining international arrivals and this is what also needs attention now. Tourists from Japan, the United States and New Zealand account for more than a quarter of our international visitors to the Territory. Arrivals from all of these countries are down by more than 20%, according to the minister’s statement. Arrivals from the United Kingdom have reduced by a much smaller amount, but visitors from the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia account for 30% of the Territory’s international visitors. Air services to the Territory are vital, obviously, but so, too, is a strategy to ensure that we continue to attract visitors from these regions in a tourism market that looks a lot different from what it did only a few months ago.
The traditional methods of attracting visitors may not work as effectively as they did in the past. Does the minister plan to refocus the work of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission to reflect this? Will the Northern Territory Tourist Commission bother marketing the Northern Territory in the United States? Given some reluctance for Americans to travel, the question must be asked: what is government and the Northern Territory Tourist Commission doing to tackle this problem? How will the Northern Territory Tourist Commission restore our visitor numbers from Europe, which is the Territory’s largest overseas market sector?
The Northern Territory Tourist Commission has - and the minister referred to them - overseas representatives in our major markets. These representatives should be allocated additional resources to undertake activities that will work towards getting tourists back to Australia and the Northern Territory.
Of course, it was with horror that I saw in this morning’s mini-budget, a series of cuts to the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. At a particularly sensitive time, who on earth would have imagined that our own Tourist Commission would be cut by this government? To say that I was gob-smacked is an understatement. The fact of the matter is that now, of all times, the Northern Territory Tourist Commission needs an injection of funds, an injection of confidence from this government, so that all Territorians can benefit from the prosperity that tourism has to offer.
International representatives will be the key to measuring consumer attitudes in our major offshore markets, and devising ways to ensure our Territory tourism experience appeals to potential visitors in this new environment is a must. The challenge for the government is to ensure that the Territory is in the forefront of people’s minds - when the world settles down, as we hope it will - so that would-be tourists in Europe and North America consider an overseas holiday.
Our international market shares have been hard won over many years. We do not want to see our competitor destinations steal the march on us when the international travel market rebounds, as we all hope it will. May I repeat in conclusion my dismay at the cutting of funding to the Northern Territory Tourist Commission and say that it is a truly extraordinary step to have taken in the present climate, and will cause those in the tourism industry to question the government’s commitment to that industry, as they well should.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my colleague the Minister for Tourism and his statement today because it is a further illustration of just how quickly this industry changes around us. Each of us would know that both in Australia and internationally, that upheaval resulting from a number of factors in the international aviation world continues.
Well-established long term operators such as Swiss Air and our own Ansett are proof that absolutely nothing in the industry can be taken for granted. Put simply, it is a high cost and high financial risk industry in which this government is not prepared to become a direct participant. It is an industry where new players are seeking to enter and established players are leaving or, alternatively, reducing services and focussing on cost reductions and maximising usage of expensive assets. It is an industry where the status quo is being overturned. While some in the industry were aware of the difficulties confronting Ansett, none would have ventured to suggest that 10 weeks after the collapse of Ansett, proposals for Virgin Blue and Lang Corporation to be considering operations to take over some of Ansett were a serious option.
I agree with my colleague that air services break down the tyranny of distance and isolation factors that all Territorians face on a daily basis are a critical concern for us all. I know from my own experience, both as a regular traveller to Darwin, and in the short time as Minister for Tourism, exactly how large an impact they have on Territorians, tourists and our economy. So I support the efforts of the current minister and I thank him for his acknowledgement of the actions taken during my time as minister.
I am pleased that the measures taken by both this government, Qantas, Airnorth, and the Commonwealth government have restored capacity, despite the loss of nearly 43% of that capacity with the loss of Ansett. It is pleasing to note that 10 weeks after Ansett ceased serving the Territory, air services are meeting demand in the market place. It says much about the way the government has dealt with the issue. Darwin has seen a full reinstatement of direct interstate passenger capacity, Alice Springs will have approximately 95% capacity compared with December 2000 demand by December this year, Ayers Rock has close to 95% and Gove approximately 90%.
The Gove situation was of concern to me as local member, as it was to community business and this government, given the limited road access and location. I again express my support and confidence for Airnorth’s effort. I want to recognise the involvement and assistance of the former member for Blain, Barry Coulter, who is on the board of Airnorth, and came to see us with Michael Bridge, the CEO, to talk about establishing this new Airnorth service. Barry is as smooth as ever, but straight down the line when it comes to these sorts of arrangements, and he had a key role in working together with government to support Airnorth. It was an effort that we had to put up, in place of the uninformed and less than helpful public posturing by others of a completely uncosted and unfeasible option. Whilst it is true that the Gove-Cairns sector has suffered unsustainable and low passenger loads, I am advised that usage of the Darwin-Gove-Groote service is increasing and is proving to be viable, and usage of the Darwin-Kununurra-Broome service is also growing.
I agree with my colleague that the Airnorth experience has justified this government’s decision to ask that a route have proven demand and demonstrate a commercial viability before committing substantial funds to service the operation. That shows up in the weakness of the Cairns-Gove link which you can only consider being more than adequately covered by the Qantas BAe 146 service. There simply were no people travelling on that leg, and the last thing we wanted was for Airnorth to suffer significant financial damage by continuing a route that simply was not being supported.
I believe the decision to support Airnorth - it is a Territory operator rather than a Queensland company under control of a liquidator - was correct. The absence of detailed business proposals, the inability to present such proposals to satisfy the requirements of this government or the Commonwealth was further evidence of the deficiencies of that concept. This was the Flight West, or Uncut Diamond, publicity campaign which in the end proved to be an exercise in public and political posturing and opportunism without any real substance at the base of it.
It is, indeed, disappointing - particularly for the staff of Ansett - that the Ansett situation remains unresolved. I do congratulate the Ansett employees and the unions for their perseverance and commitment. I particularly applaud the efforts of one Ms Robyn Winspear because it is indeed true that Ansett employees have been treated shabbily by the original Ansett management and owners. I note the Employee Assistance Services, in conjunction with the Northern Territory Employment and Training Authority, the Australian Services Union and the Transport Workers Union are all working together to develop options for retraining and skills identification to enable those employees to gain further meaningful employment. Like my colleague, I encourage the federal government to make good on the promise to look after the Ansett workers and their families caught up in this tragic corporate failure who stand to lose so much.
It is pleasing to see Virgin Blue will be seen in the Territory skies earlier than originally envisaged. Whilst the additional capacity is welcome, coming just before the Christmas season and providing a capacity to rebuild our travel markets into the new year, it is equally important that it provide a viable, long-term alternative to Qantas, that provides sensible and sustainable price competition. We need to remember that passenger capacity is not the only issue of importance. The availability of sustainable cheaper fairs is also important. At the same time, we have to remember the airlines cannot continue to operate flying empty planes, and we do probably have to adjust some of our expectations and price preferences.
The impact of recent events on tourism is significant, but I congratulate the industry and the officers and staff of the Northern Territory Tourism Commission on their efforts to appeal to a broader market segment, focussing on domestic and local tourists and alternative transport options. It is only by such action that we can mitigate the significant downturn in overseas demand. I pick up the opposition spokesperson’s comments in relation to what the Tourist Commission might be doing in terms of keeping the Northern Territory on the horizon for international visitation.
It is widely acknowledged in the industry that the events of 11 September were probably going to put a damper - if they had stopped there. If they had stopped there on 11 September and everything was resolved the next day, it was probably going to put a damper on international tourism, particularly United States tourists, for a minimum of two years. That does not mean we sit back and wait for two years for it all to come together again and the good times for everyone to enjoy. What it does mean is we have to focus very heavily on Australian domestic tourism in the first instance so that we capture every available dollar of that market. It also means that we do - probably in the medium term - sell Australia as a safe destination because that seems to be one of the driving concerns in the downturn in international aviation. Even given that, it is going to be two years, particularly for the American market, and that two years is probably being added to as we speak by the ongoing Afghanistan situation. Until that is resolved, until you draw a line under it all, I think that the clock starts then in terms of recovery of particularly United States visitation.
I want to acknowledge, also, the efforts of Malaysia Airlines and Royal Brunei. Once the cabotage restriction was removed they provided an extra 70 to 100 seats between Darwin and Brisbane, and Darwin and Cairns. That helped alleviate the impact of the loss of Ansett. The efforts of Qantas in both clearing the stranded Ansett passengers generally at no cost and responding to the need for revised schedules and plane configurations should also be acknowledged. They carried 100 000 passengers for free. If that is not a commitment to Australian aviation, I will go he. 100 000 stranded Ansett passengers, nowhere to go, who had paid up-front for their tickets, there was no money coming back to them, and Qantas as the flag carrier now for Australia, carried that capacity at cost to their own shareholders and their own company.
Whilst that organisation currently receives some criticism, it has shown it has not forgotten its origins. Qantas is not just a brand name of different letters, it really does include and factor in the Northern Territory. I note the efforts of the local manager, Mr Steve Farquhar and his team. It is not a bad selling ploy to hit the southern capitals and the board rooms of Qantas to say: ‘Just remember your name, just remember where the NT in Qantas comes from and what it stands for’. I think Steve Farquhar is to be commended for his efforts on our behalf.
I look forward to the arrival of Australian Airlines, the Qantas new low-cost carrier. I note the commitment that Darwin is indeed on the radar for services likely to commence in 2003. I note and support the comments by my colleague concerning the smaller regional operators and their efforts. Whilst the primary focus has been on the larger national operators, the small commuter operators such as Anindilyakwa Air, Wimray, Murin Air and Janami Air should not be overlooked. They are in the same industry and they face similar issues.
One of the impediments or disadvantages in the aviation sector, particularly in the smaller aviation sector, is they are really reliant back to the US dollar in terms of the aircraft themselves and all the spare parts. As the Australian dollar fluctuates and seems to only ever go downwards against the US, it adds considerable costs to these operators. At a time when we had, a few months ago, fuel prices climbing, that was affecting operating costs on a daily basis, and we had the Australian dollar going backwards against the US. It really does put the squeeze on these operators, and you really have to commend the likes of those smaller companies and Airnorth, considering what they are up against when they are getting squeezed in different directions.
I want to thank, particularly, Mr Tony Mayell, Mr Rod Nelson and their colleagues in the Northern Territory Tourist Commission and the aviation section of the then Department of Transport and Works for their assistance on the Aviation Task Force during my time as minister. Both Tony and Rod stuck to the task right throughout what was a difficult period of time. I am happy to have the opportunity to record my appreciation for their efforts on the Parliamentary Record.
In relation to Tony - an absolute outstanding head of the Tourist Commission over the past five years. It was a great deal of personal sadness, and regret on behalf of government, when I bounced into my office one morning and he was there to tell me that he was resigning and would be working and staying in the position until about mid-January. The Territory does owe Tony Mayell a huge debt of gratitude for the work he has done in the Tourist Commission. As I said, an outstanding director, a great people manager, a great thinker, innovator, creative mind, and able to get the best out of his staff - and very many of them, of course, are in that industry for those very skills, and the Tourist Commission is full of those bright people.
Tony is going to do it tough. He has won the top position for the Australian Tourist Commission based in London. That is about as plumb a posting as the Australian Tourist Commission can deliver. It is a credit to Tony that he has won that job and been head-hunted by the Australian Tourist Commission who well recognised his abilities. He will be there for about three years. In fact, I had a phone call very early in the first couple of days of being Minister for Tourism from a person at the Australian Tourist Commission to tell me that our Mr Mayell is one of the two best in tourism in Australia. So, it was no real surprise to learn some 10 or 12 weeks later that they had, in fact, recruited him and will be basing him in London for three years. He goes with our best wishes, as government, as he certainly would with the best wishes of our predecessors because he enjoyed a close working relationship with the former Minister for Tourism, Mike Reed, over the greater part of that five years. He and his family will be resident there, and we look forward to his return to the Territory as, indeed, would every Territorian because this is his place.
This is a great opportunity for him and we know that, in his time in London as head of the Australian Tourist Commission, there will be one place that will be dear to his heart, that he will be selling as high on the list of destinations to visit, and that is the Northern Territory. I know he will have the interests of Australia at heart because that will be his job. But inside that, any opportunity he has at that level to promote the Northern Territory, I am sure he will be doing that. We look forward to his return in three years. On behalf of all of us in the House, I wish Tony and his family all the best.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I also rise to make a few comments in relation to the statement. Let me begin with sharing with the Leader of Government Business that Tony Mayell’s contribution to the Northern Territory has been extraordinary, and I heard the shadow for tourism also agreeing with that. He pointed out quite correctly that Tony Mayell was an excellent representative of the former administration - as he is to the current administration - and it is a great loss to the Northern Territory. I am sure that the former administration is very proud of appointing him. We have certainly got our money’s worth out of him, and then some more.
I rise to also make some comments in relation to other aspects of aviation in the Northern Territory. I was disappointed, to some degree, that the minister’s statement did not extend itself to another aspect of tourism which is affecting very remote communities in the Northern Territory. This also comes under the transport and work’s portfolio, so I am grateful to see that both ministers are in the House and actively listening to my comments.
My concern arises out of something that has been growing as a problem within my electorate and, as I am fully aware, in other remote electorates in the Northern Territory. That is the problem of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s desire to run Sir Humphrey Appleby’s equivalent of the best run hospital in England, and that was one with no patients. I am starting to get the impression that CASA, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, thinks that the safest civil aviation environment you can create is one with no aeroplanes in the air. I think that they are correct. What I am specifically referring to is the way that the structures of the RPT - or regular passenger transport - systems have been applied, as well as the rules engaging charters and the effect that that has had on the ability for small aircraft operators to provide services into remote communities around the Northern Territory.
Ms Lawrie: To improve safety. Do you get that about CASA?
Mr ELFERINK: I will pick up on the interjection by the member opposite. I am aware that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has as its primary function an issue of safety. However, under the old system which was allowed to be used, there was no air crash involving the environment, which I am about to talk about. I am not criticising government in this, so I ask honourable members to at least give me a chance to start constructing an argument before you start hurling abuse across the room. It would be helpful.
What I am referring to is the environment in which services have been being provided to remote communities - I am sure that the member for Barkly is aware of this issue. Those services, because of the bureaucratic decisions taken by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, are no longer available to many remote communities. As a consequence, many of those remote communities are not enjoying regular mail services and the like. I look forward to the comments by the member for Karama on what she would recommend to improve those mail services to the remote communities in my electorate as well as the remote communities in the other bush electorates in the Northern Territory.
One of the ways that the small air services used to be able to support their community services to remote communities - especially in terms of delivery of mail, which was partly funded by the federal government through the RASSS, or Remote Area Services Subsidy System - was that they were able, at that time, to take passengers. When they would take those passengers, they would take them as tourists and they would travel with the mail planes out to the various communities in the remote areas around Australia. Those communities used to enjoy a regular mail service by virtue of the fact that those passengers actually did a lot more to pay for the flights than the Remote Area Services Subsidy Scheme ever did.
The problem is that, over time, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has decided to view its role much more as that of a policeman rather than a service organisation. That is the position that it used to maintain, and it used to work very well in terms of maintaining safety outcomes in those remote areas. In fact, its safety record is second to none by virtue of the fact that no tourist in that fashion was ever lost as a result of an accident. However, they decided to start applying the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law and as a consequence of that application, the remote area services have been seriously eroded.
An RPT service - or regular passenger transport service - which one of these tourist flights was classified as, needed to land on a strip which was licensed or capable of being licensed. The problem with landing on a licensed strip is that the requirements for licensing are profound and far exceed the $5000 subsidy that it takes to keep one of those strips up to scratch. Indeed, the area around the strip has to be some 80 m wide to allow for the landing of an RPT service. A Cessna 172 is hardly what you would call a huge aircraft and, indeed, its landing length and even its taking off length is less than 80 m. If you were to allow a Cessna 172 to land, you could actually do it across a strip which is 80 m wide. That is technically not entirely correct, because the strip area has to be 80 m wide, not the strip itself.
However, the problem that we have now is that, even under the definition under the current CARs, Civil Aviation Regulations, even a box can be a passenger for the purposes of definition and under the Charter definition, a passenger can be cargo. One of the problems for these remote communities is the way that they order material and as a consequence, even if they were able to fund the movement of mail out without passengers, the truth of the matter is the chances are that, under the current definition system, the boxes and mail packages that they brought along with them would still classify the aircraft as regular passenger transport.
I ask the Northern Territory government, as I asked the former Northern Territory government, to pursue this issue. It is one of extreme frustration for so many communities in my electorate. For argument’s sake, the Docker River community now has to drive into Western Australia to obtain their mail and then return from the Giles strip to the Docker River area. They receive a mail plane, I believe at the moment, once a week. I would be well pleased if the Northern Territory government could, in this time of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s review of its legislative structure, put great pressure on the federal government and on the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to bring about some changes to see an alleviation of these problems, not only for communities in my electorate but remote communities in Labor electorates and in electorates throughout not only the Northern Territory but also in places like New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and northern South Australia.
I do know attached to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure’s portfolio, there is an aviation section. It is not a big section, I believe it is only one individual. However, this person, I understand, is across these issues. I hope that I have done the issues justice in the Chamber here today. But, I would urge the government to give this person a mandate to put together recommendations so that there is a way that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority can redress or revisit the Civil Aviation Regulations, especially now that they are under review, to alleviate this problem.
Aboriginal people who live in these remote communities are often seriously affected by services or the lack of them as they come to those communities. Only so much can be done by road. The current cut-backs on the period contracts for road repairs means that a lot of these remote communities will have damage to vehicles trying to recover this mail by road. I look forward to the minister’s response in relation to this issue, to see if the Northern Territory government can start bringing about some pressure on the federal government to try and resolve this issue. I ask the minister to pay some attention to this in his response here today.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development on his aviation ministerial statement. May I point out that it is appropriate to be titled ‘aviation’, given that it is not just dealing with the topic of tourism; it is also dealing with a very important topic of business freight in and out of the Territory post-11 September, and following the Ansett collapse.
Specifically, I am pleased to say that Australian Air Express continues to move volumes of perishable cargo that greatly exceed the approximate five to seven tonnes they were handling each week immediately prior to Ansett’s collapse. In the last week, indeed, from the 20 to 26 November, 28 tonnes of perishable produce were sent to interstate markets. These latest statistics show that, although seasonality may dictate the type of produce being exported - for example, the mango season is almost over, but rambutans are coming on line. The overall amount of Territory produce moving through the cargo sheds is steady and is not being constrained.
In early September, during one week, 30 tonnes of perishables were air freighted interstate. We are still seeing close to that tonnage moving now. As a matter of interest, the latest exports comprised over 19 tonnes of crabs and seafood; over 5.6 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegies; and more than 3.4 tonnes of flowers. So indeed, the aviation ministerial statement goes to the combined issues in aviation. Aviation involves the movement of people and animals, but also the movement of freight.
On the subject of freight, as the international airline market moves towards rationalisation, I believe the Territory’s position as a producer of high-quality primary produce is of vital concern. Indeed, this government has seen the return of the Australian Air Express freight times to between 12 and 24 hours turnaround in response to requests for freight. To maintain this service helps maintain our import and export position. Once again, our interstate figures are taking on a great deal of importance to our local economy.
We need to build the confidence here in business and I believe that the work that has been done on freight turnaround, post-Ansett collapse, certainly sends clear indications to the business sector that our aviation industry is back and is strong and viable for business.
On the subject of tourism and, indeed, passenger movement, I congratulate the minister for meeting just last week in Darwin with the key management of Virgin Blue. This, quite clearly, indicates that affordability is a key issue. Affordability of air travel is, indeed, a key issue for the Labor Martin government, as it was a key issue for us in opposition. I remind the member for Araluen that it was the Martin government that delivered a deal with Virgin Blue to come to Darwin sooner rather than later. I point out that the previous government, in election mode, misled the Territory public saying that Virgin Blue would be here on December 1. That has patently proven to be a misleading of Territorians. We are working hard to ensure, with the hard work that the minister is doing in consultation with Virgin Blue, to see Virgin Blue arriving in December when the normal exodus of Territorians heading interstate to spend their Christmas holidays usually occurs. I congratulate the minister for his continued work with Virgin Blue, to see them delivering a Christmas service to Territorians.
I have to say that I was surprised by the member for Araluen’s suggestion that a government could have some affect on a pricing policy of a private enterprise. Is the member suggesting that we become involved in some kind of price fixing regime? No, we are indeed an honest government, open and accountable. We work with business in a collaborative fashion to facilitate improved services. We are the government that is delivering Virgin Blue and affordability to Territorians. We are also working on the aim and the hope to see Ansett #2, a version thereof, also resuming air services in the Territory. This is no small matter. It is taken up as a matter of importance by this government, our minister has been pursuing it. Both in terms of the return of air services and the capacities - I will just point out again the capacities. We have a full reinstatement of interstate passenger capacity in Darwin. We have close to 95% of capacity back to Alice Springs; close to 95% of capacity back to Uluru; and about 90% back to Nhulunbuy. We have achieved, through hard work and the dedication of our minister, a dramatic turnaround in capacity to what we suffered post the Ansett collapse. I congratulate the government on its efforts.
Mr VATSKALIS (Transport and Infrastructure): Mr Deputy Speaker, I heard with great interest the comments by the member for Macdonnell regarding the light aircraft and the problems we face out in the bush. We all admit, we all know that the light aircraft are the lifeline of some of the communities up north and in the east and west in the Northern Territory. Light aircraft are used by passengers, by public service staff - they go there to deliver services, to deliver the mail, and also to transport people who require treatment, to the main centres. In my previous life as a public servant, I used light aircraft when I travelled to some of the communities up north - Nhulunbuy, Lake Evella, Maningrida and other areas. I am aware of the problems that some of these communities face, and also I am aware of the problems that some of the small aircraft charter companies face as well, where there are requirements by CASA.
I received a representation by a number of companies. They came to me and discussed with me these issues, and they alerted me to the fact that they face great difficulties because, in a large number of the communities, the airstrips - but also pastoral airstrips - are not up to the standards for transport service. They discussed with me these issues and they advised me that in some cases, communities are not willing to do the necessary work for the simple reason they continue to receive a service. In some of the cases where the airstrip had deteriorated to a great degree, we face the problem that the member for Macdonnell referred to - that they have travel a great distance to pick up their mail and come back to the communities.
The representatives also told me that the communities had not even approached ATSIC for the same reason - they receive their services. But they have reached the stage now that will interrupt the service to these communities. That is going to cause a great distress to communities, because cheques will not be delivered, the mail will not be delivered. But their greatest concern was that 57% of their passengers were passengers who needed to go to regional centres to receive treatment. That is a great problem because some of these people are renal patients and if they stay in the community without receiving treatment, there will be dire consequences.
I am very pleased that the member for Macdonnell pointed out the fact that it does not affect only communities in his electorate, but also affects communities in Labor electorates. I am prepared to work with anybody, together, to achieve something, to approach CASA and request that they review their requirements, or even to work and require the communities or ATSIC or any other funding authority to provide the funds to repair or upgrade the airstrips to the required standards. We will need in excess of $5000 to upgrade some of these airstrips - a lot of money for a small community. I think we will find the solution. The government is going to be the leading authority in this area. We will try to talk to our Commonwealth colleagues, and also to our people here in the Territory, to find the necessary money to upgrade these communities’ airstrip facilities.
I am prepared to work with the member for Macdonnell. I have no problem working with anybody because this is not an issue for political point scoring; it is a matter of life or death for some of these communities and some of these people.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank honourable members for their contribution to the statement on the aviation industry update. This was a statement of what is happening in terms of the aviation industry. It was important to bring this statement before the parliament in terms of ongoing updates whilst we face this very difficult time in the national and international aviation markets. At the end of the day, we won’t have a tourism industry at all in the Northern Territory unless we have capacity into the Territory both from interstate and overseas.
I pick up on some of the comments made by the shadow tourism spokesman, saying we should have addressed a lot more of the tourism issues. I am happy to bring tourism issues before the House at another time; but this was an aviation statement. But I will pick up on some of the comments that the honourable member made.
As I said before, in terms of rebuilding the tourism industry, yes, the tourism industry was hit hard. In the short time that I have been in the job and the large numbers of people that I have met from the tourism industry, they are a wonderfully resilient bunch of people and are far more optimistic about the future and their current operations than I believed they would be given the numbers that I have heard. It is a group of people that I am really going to enjoy working with given the creativity, their determination and their willingness to work together, not only with government, but also with the airline industry and the international market place, to rebuild visitation numbers to the Northern Territory. They were certainly much more positive about the future than the shadow tourism minister was.
In respect of the possible sale of 51% of Virgin Blue - this is an issue and is why I will continue to bring regular updates, because this story moves on a daily basis - we currently have a Heads of Agreement with Virgin Blue, not a contract specifically, at this date. The reason for that is that we are negotiating with them to build Alice Springs into the route prior to securing the contract. The Tourist Commission advised me very strongly that Virgin Blue is safe regardless of who the owner is because the market is there. The market is there, it is proven, it is sustainable. Forward bookings for the December service are very strong. There is very much a commercial imperative for whoever the new owners of Virgin Blue are going to be, that they want access into markets where there is the demand, where there is the proven demand, and that is the case here.
Certainly, meeting with one of the head officers of Virgin Blue last week, he was very keen and totally committed to a December start-up date out of Darwin. They have sold down tickets already. Virgin Blue is very much looking to Alice Springs. We are hopeful of a positive announcement in the not too distant future of Virgin Blue’s arrival in Alice Springs.
I have to say that enormous credit goes to my predecessor in this portfolio and the Chief Minister in terms of actually securing Virgin Blue into the Territory market place prior to the Ansett collapse. It has certainly left us in good stead, that we are not talking to them from the position of ground zero. It was a fact that the previous government had been negotiating with Virgin Blue to bring them to the Northern Territory to introduce more competition, to bring down the cost of air fares that are so near and dear to the shadow tourism minister’s heart. But it wasn’t so near and dear to the CLP Tourism Minister’s heart that he could secure a deal with Virgin Blue prior to the election. It was this government that actually did the hard yards to close that deal. We will be reaping the rewards of that deal in terms of Virgin Blue being the most competitive airline in the market. They will put pressure on Qantas and any other operator that comes into this market place on airlines. If we had not secured that deal with Virgin Blue immediately in the first weeks of coming to government, we would have been in a very sorry mess in terms of trying to entice them into the market place. We already had them on the hook and we are going to be reeling them in. It is going to be a great day when that first plane takes off for Brisbane with Territorians on board, reaping the rewards of those cheaper air fares.
Again, pretty churlish comments from the shadow minister earlier saying it was John Anderson, not the NT government who got Virgin Blue here. I remember there was enormous pressure on a daily basis trying to get …
Mr Stirling: Curmudgeonly.
Mr HENDERSON: Curmudgeonly, yes. … a call through to John Anderson. Of course, we could not get a phone call through to John Anderson because the now member for Solomon, Dave Tollner, was on the phone to John Anderson every half an hour arguing for the Flight West proposal. My colleague, the previous Minister for Tourism, could not get through because Tollner was on the phone arguing for the Flight West proposal that never really had wings. It was never really a serious proposal. Certainly, it was a combination of forces and lobbying, not least through the Tourism Industry Task Force in government and Tony Mayell and the minister’s office, to bring the Commonwealth to actually having the Northern Territory on the radar and committing Virgin Blue to get here earlier. I was trying to give praise and not be so condescending about the federal government, but we had to drag them kicking and screaming to the deal.
In terms of the affordability issue, yes. Competition - I thought you guys on the other side of the Chamber, the champions of the free market, would understand that when you have competition in the market place it does affect pricing. The result of losing Ansett out of the market - 43% - of course Qantas had to ramp up services. To ramp up services, they had to go to additional capital expenditure and it takes time to get a return on that investment. I, for one, as the new Minister for Tourism, have great praise for the way that Qantas actually stepped into this market place and kept Territorians flying and kept freight going through very difficult times. They could very easily have not had the Northern Territory on the radar, but they did.
As the previous Tourism Minister stated, Steve Farquhar, from the local office here, led the charge into the Qantas Boardroom to say: ‘Don’t forget the Northern Territory’ and it certainly has paid off. I think it was within about seven to eight weeks of the Ansett collapse, we had about 85% of the capacity back into the Darwin market purely thanks to Qantas. I am going to be standing here as the Minister for Tourism acknowledging the role they have played and will continue to play in terms of air capacity into the Northern Territory. I will continue to work with them to see them grow that further but, of course, recognising we need competition in the marketplace.
That is what Virgin Blue’s going to bring. That is what Qantas have stated, that Australian Airlines, their new low cost carrier, is also looking to come here. Ansett #2, whenever we know who the owners of that airline are going to be, will certainly be breaking the doors down to make sure that the Northern Territory is on the radar. So competition is coming. It will be here as of the end of December and we will start to see a reduction in travel costs as a result of that.
In terms of looking at the tourism impacts, it is difficult for Territorians to get out of the Northern Territory or visitors to come here. Well, certainly, yes, that is the cost and the consequence of the collapse of 43% of your air market and somebody having to ramp up capital costs to get back in to meet that demand. But if the suggestion of the shadow tourism minister is that we should somehow be offering subsidies for Territorians to assist them to fly interstate, as opposed to staying here in the Northern Territory and potentially having a holiday here in the Northern Territory, I am fairly aghast as well. At the end of the day, if we are going to be offering cash subsidies to Territorians so that they can fly interstate for their holidays, well I am sorry, that is not a position that this government is going to be in. We want to encourage Territorians to actually stay here in the Northern Territory and have a holiday here. The market place will provide the cheap fares with the result of Virgin Blue coming here - and potentially Australian Airlines - and Territorians will once again be able to look forward to discount travel and discount tickets.
In terms of the international scene and the fact that we have had to make a reduction to the Tourist Commission budget, that is as a direct consequence, and no area of government activity has been spared the consequence of the profligate and reckless spending of the previous Northern Territory government administrations that have forced this position on us - forced the position on us! The three budgets from 2000 to 2001 underestimated final consumption expenditure by $65-70m a year. So, you guys, if you have a massive printing press out the back there, were going to continue to print money and pretend that you can continue to print money - not borrow money because you have to repay that with interest at some point in the future – but, ‘We will continue to print money and everything will be all right’. Well, I am sorry, this government is not going to go down this path.
This government recognises that, in order to have a fiscally sustainable position so that we can invest in infrastructure that is going to long term build the tourism product here in the Northern Territory, we have to take the tough decisions now. That does coincide with the very fact that there is a significant downturn in the international market in terms of people travelling from overseas. Unless the airline capacity is there, and it has been cut significantly on international routes, it does not matter what the demand is in Germany or Britain, they are not going to be able to get here because of the cuts to international airline capacity, and the fact that the fares are going to go up. We are continuing our marketing efforts in Germany and the UK. There will be no cuts to the marketing budget over there. Those people are doing an absolutely fantastic job and I met with them the other day.
In terms of investing in tourism and actually seeing a return on that investment by growing the product, this budget has seen the transfer of the Tourism Infrastructure Development Fund from the Department of Industries and Business back to the Tourist Commission. So, it is back where it belongs and the Tourist Commission can have access to that funding in terms of investing in infrastructure that is going to give us that long-term benefit in regard to building the product to get more people here to the Northern Territory. Certainly, from my meeting with the CATIA representatives in Alice Springs on the weekend - I, as you do when you come to ministerial office, got an incoming briefing from the department, and this is where some of the savings are going to come from within this government. I was presented with the Northern Territory Tourism Development Masterplan 2000-05. I had a very concise reading of this document on the flight from Darwin to Alice Springs, and thought: ‘This doesn’t look a bad piece of work. There are some plans in here. I wonder how much has actually been implemented. I wonder what sort of strategy the previous government actually put in place to implement the recommendations that came out of this master plan, and all the work in terms of consulting with the tourist industry that came to develop it.’
This is where the rub is, and this is where the previous government was so good in glossy documents and producing the brochures, but never taking the next step to implementation. Talk to the people from CATIA and ask them: ‘How is the Central Australia Tourism Development Plan going?’ It was: ‘Oh, we saw the original masterplan about 18 months ago and we had one meeting, and that is the last we heard of it’. Nothing. Zero. To use the term from the shadow minister for tourism, I was gob-smacked, because it is not a bad piece of work. But there was absolutely no commitment from the previous government to build on that base document and feed it into the budget process to make sure that we actually build and develop the product.
We noticed in the previous sittings that, yes, there was a public commitment from the previous government to build the Mereenie loop road. We come to government, and what is the cash allocation to the project? Zero again. So again, they went out to make the grand announcement: ‘We are going to build the Mereenie loop road …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker. It is a breach of standing orders to mislead this parliament. The member knows full well that there was an allocation of cash to that project.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr HENDERSON: Certainly, an $8m cost, and I, as the Minister for Tourism, am certainly going to be championing this through the budget Cabinet for capital works and road fundings. There was no cash allocation to the Mereenie loop road when we came to budget. The previous government was great on the glossy brochures - and I will get around to the other regional tourist associations and see how they were going with their masterplans that were so wonderfully put together. I am sure that I will find the same thing from the other regional authorities as I had from the Central Australians, that very little is being done.
I have to pay tribute, in terms of the tourism aspects that came out of the Economic Development Summit. The group that met to work on tourism strategies at the Economic Summit and produced a draft paper at the outcome of that summit, have met a further three times and produced a very concise document, that came to me last week, of strategies for a way forward. I will be convening that group with input from Central Australia and make some real commitments that have come from the industry and conduct an audit of activity against the regional development masterplans. But what we can be doing at the moment is actually investing in the product, in the infrastructure, keeping our presence in the international and domestic markets and then, with increased investment in the product and the infrastructure, we will see people flocking back to the Northern Territory.
Picking up on some of the other comments, the member for Macdonnell made some very good points about RPT operators, CASA regulations and the regional airline industry. Those issues did come to me. I remember doorknocking during the recent election and spent about 45 minutes talking with somebody on these very issues. I took the opportunity at the Economic Development Summit to talk to some of the regional airline operators and suggested that they actually come together as a lobby group and meet with the minister to get the concise industry opinion together on those issues.
I am glad that that meeting has taken place. I hope that the regional airlines come together as a concise industry lobby. It is absolutely critical to not only maintaining services into those remote communities, but with the vision of actually building infrastructure product and giving visitors to the Northern Territory an indigenous cultural experience that we actually build airline capacity into the regions. It would be very worthwhile if those groups came together as an official voice for the industry. I am glad that initial meeting has taken place, and I will be working with my colleague responsible for transport to make sure that we take the fight up to Canberra, in terms of the review of CASA legislation. It is important. That review has to take into account the reality of conditions on the ground in remote parts of, not only in the Northern Territory, but of Australia. I am aware of the very critical comments that people in that regional airline industry have made in regards to the very regulatory approach that CASA appears to take, and the very inflexible approach that it appears to take. There are some very real issues there that need to be taken up.
The member for Karama made a lot of good points about airlines not being about people but also about freight and trade. Certainly, there were major concerns, particularly with fresh produce, getting those to markets in Asia and interstate when Ansett collapsed originally, given that they had about 80% of the market share. That has rebuilt. Again, price is an issue. Additional competition is going to help that. In terms of our developing agricultural and fisheries sector, as a government, the issue of freight and the costs of transporting that freight into market places is certainly very much on our agenda. We are working with all of the operators to ensure that we are not restricted to a single carrier having 80% to 90% of freight contracts and capacity because we do not want to be exposed again, in the event that somebody else goes under.
Picking up, again, the comments from the previous Minister for Tourism about Tony Mayell. It is a bad blow to the industry to lose somebody of Tony’s capabilities. I am absolutely certain that the return on investment we will get out of the UK and European markets by having a Territorian with our interests at heart heading up the ATC in that market place, can only be good for the Northern Territory tourist industry. We will certainly be staying in touch with Tony and badgering him to see what he is doing in that market place to not only maximise tourists into the Territory, but also developing that network of contacts amongst the international and the European airline operators, to get them to plug Darwin back into their international schedules as soon as that long haul market picks up.
I would like to thank honourable members for the contribution that they have made to the debate this afternoon. At the end of the day, our tourism industry relies very heavily, in terms of air capacity into the Northern Territory, and we are continuing to work with all potential operators to make sure that the Territory is a profitable destination for them.
Motion agreed to, statement noted.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
It is with regret I inform the house this evening, Mr Brian Bates AM APM, will retire later this year after seven years as Commissioner of Police and Chief Executive Officer, Fire and Emergency Services. Mr Bates’ retirement as Commissioner of the Northern Territory Police Service brings to an end a long and distinguished career of 45 years in law enforcement. He joined the Victoria Police Force in 1957 and, after 13 years, moved into the Commonwealth arena working in drug law enforcement within the Department of Customs, the Narcotics Bureau, and the Australian Federal Police before commencing with the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services in 1994. His loyalty, dedication and contribution to the Australian community have been honoured with both the awarding of the Australian Police Medal and, more recently, a Member of the Order of Australia.
Commissioner Bates has travelled extensively overseas on law enforcement missions which have taken him to Southeast Asia and Middle Eastern countries, North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, China and Outer Mongolia. He has represented Australia at numerous international forums including the United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs and the international criminal police organisation known as Interpol. He chaired the sixth United Nations Meeting of Heads of Narcotics Law Enforcement Agencies; was chair of the Drugs Committee at the 52nd General Assembly Session of Interpol; and was the leader of the Australian delegation to the first United Nations International Regional Drugs Conference. He also led an Australian law enforcement delegation on an official visit to China in 1993.
Commissioner Bates is a graduate of both the Australian Institute of Police Management and of the Police Staff College, Bramshill, in the United Kingdom. Some of the highlights of his time as Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of Fire and Emergency Services include: the instigation of the McAuley Bowe review shortly after his arrival in the Northern Territory in 1994 which involved scrutiny of the budget and financial requirements of the organisation; an increase in the number of sworn Northern Territory Police members from 775 in 1994 to the current 940, which allows the Territory to have the best level of resourcing on a per capita basis than anywhere else in Australia; establishment of the dedicated welfare and chaplaincy function for Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services personnel; a strong focus on custody management and the ongoing upgrade of police cells in order to prevent and reduce the incidence of deaths in custody; development of a tri-service culture where each of the Police, Fire and Emergency Services organisations was given due regard in organisational decision making; the introduction of DNA legislation here in the Northern Territory which was a first in Australia; the construction of the new state-of-the-art forensic science laboratory that opened in October 2001; the expansion of the Aboriginal Community Police Officers scheme from 35 to 51 members; the introduction of the juvenile pre-court diversion initiative; the introduction of training and professional development initiatives; the establishment of a joint emergency services communications centre; the construction of new police and fire stations throughout the Northern Territory including Palmerston, Kulgera, Yulara, Alice Springs Police Station cell complex and the Harts Range Police Station; the purchase of the new Pilatus PC-12 police aircraft; and the introduction of Livescan, the electronic recording of fingerprints. All in all, a truly outstanding contribution to the Northern Territory.
Commissioner Bates is a man of high ideals and expectations. He always demonstrated the highest degree of ethics and professionalism. Many people have experienced another facet of this man’s character; one of compassion and warmth. On numerous occasions, many members and public servants alike have received kind words or letters of support when in times of need. This compassion has always extended to his state counterparts who have received similar support in times of crisis. Mr Bates has devoted nearly 45 years of his life to the community generally and specifically to law enforcement and he is held in high esteem throughout Australia.
An official dinner will be held on 30 November to farewell Commissioner Bates and to thank him for his outstanding contribution to the Territory over the last seven years. Mr Bates and his wife, Margaret, are leaving the Territory to travel around Australia, but will no doubt return at some stage in the future to the Territory, a community to which they have contributed so much and within which they are truly amongst friends. On behalf of the Northern Territory government, I thank Commissioner Bates. I wish he and Margaret an enjoyable and well-deserved retirement.
On a personal level, if I could just add that Commissioner Bates is an outstanding individual. The former minister will attest to this. The one regret I have is coming to government after 11 years in opposition and not sharing more of my time as Police Minister with this individual. The former Police Minister enjoyed most of that seven year working relationship as minister; I had 10 or 12 weeks. An absolute outstanding individual, able to cut to the essence of an issue no matter how complex the brief before him, bring common sense, always integrity, but straight down the line in terms of what the document was and the position that he would be arguing very clearly that government should adopt. So, very sorry at a personal level; enjoyed working with him immensely; looked forward to our meetings and briefings; and always quick to pick up the phone if there was anything at all he thought the minister should know. He goes, again, not just with the best wishes of the Northern Territory government, but certainly on the other side, because they well appreciate the job he did as Police Commissioner over that time. I really must commend the former government for their choice in the first place, because he has been truly an outstanding Commissioner.
I also want to address David Hawkes, the Commissioner for Public Employment, retiring on 19 December. In a career spanning four decades, David has extensive experience in both public and private sectors at the national level in Commonwealth, territory and state jurisdictions. David has had a long association with the Northern Territory, commencing as Deputy Public Service Commissioner in 1980. He has been Commissioner for Public Employment since 1989, and is amongst the longest serving chief executive officers of the Northern Territory public sector. His appointments as Public Service Commissioner in Tasmania and the Northern Territory combine to make him the longest serving Commissioner for Public Employment in Australasia. Prior to joining government, David made significant contributions in the industrial relations arena, and worked as an advocate and Senior Industrial Officer for the ACOA, and the Papua New Guinea Public Service Association. He is considered one of the most successful commissioners to have contributed to the development of the Northern Territory public sector.
His specialist knowledge and skills lie in the areas of industrial relations, organisational change, high level policy development, senior executive training and development, and strategic planning. He has been a regular contributor to the National Institute of Public Administration Journal on major change processes and, since April 1999, he has been project director of the AusAID-funded Public Service Commission Institutional Strengthening Program for the Samoan Public Service. Notably, many acknowledge the non-politicisation of the Northern Territory Public Sector directly attributable to David and his relationship with the government of the day.
It is important to record, that as a consequence of David Hawkes, this has been a period of unprecedented independence for the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment and we will continue to ensure that there is independence for that office.
David’s key achievements as commissioner include securing substantial structural reforms and productivity improvements through the award restructuring process of 1989-91, including the implementation of the Job Evaluation Scheme; development and implementation of unique initiatives in enterprising bargaining, executive contract arrangements and senior executive and middle management development programs; and development, marketing and implementation of one of the more advanced public sector employment and management legislative packages in Australia.
Notwithstanding these achievements have strategically and appreciably impacted on the whole of government, staff will remember David for his open door policy - not only his accessibility, but his approachability; his non-hierarchical style; his willingness to listen and entertain ideas that others had dismissed as too risky or unnecessary; his ability to allow people their freedom to be creative and operate autonomously; and make the tough decisions that come across his desk including performance of CEOs and dealing with very serious disciplinary issues.
There is absolutely no doubt that David Hawkes will be deeply missed and deeply missed in different ways, depending on where people sat within the public sector. I have nothing but the greatest admiration for people working in industrial relations at the level that David Hawkes did for so many years because love him or hate him - I do not care what side of the fence you sit on in terms of the decisions that he has had to make over all of these years - you have to respect him. You just have to respect him for, again, his integrity, but also his strength.
Whoever the government of the day is, in terms of the role that someone like David Hawkes, as Public Service Commissioner, plays, they are the enemy. They are the enemy of the worker because they are never going to please the worker in terms of the industrial relations struggle of the day or the enterprise bargaining agreement, whatever it is. You simply are never going to satisfy everybody in those negotiated, sometimes unnecessarily so, arm struggles. So, I have enormous admiration for David Hawkes for the way he conducted all those arrangements for our predecessors. I was one on the other side of the fence earlier on, who would say he was unnecessarily tough, he was unnecessarily harsh. But again, working with him over that 10 to 12 weeks that I have had the privilege of doing, I have certainly come to respect the man for his efforts and for his endeavours, no more so than through the teachers Enterprise Bargaining Agreement just a couple of months ago and the nurses Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.
I certainly wish David well in retirement. I know that he has other projects in which he will be going to contribute and continue to utilise that experience, expertise and integrity and enjoy the reputation that he has established.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to also pay tribute to Sister Elizabeth Little, to her work in Catholic education in the Northern Territory. Sister Elizabeth Little, one of the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Sisters so long associated with the work of Catholic education in the Territory, leaves Darwin at the end of this year to take up an appointment in the Sisters’ Provincial Administration based at Kensington in Sydney. Sister Elizabeth took up the challenge of teaching and school leadership in Catholic education in the Northern Territory over a quarter of a century ago. She started as principal in 1974 at St Teresa’s on Bathurst Island. Following a short period at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School in Alice Springs, she was appointed Principal of St Paul’s Nightcliff from 1976 to 1983 during the reconstruction of the school after Cyclone Tracy. After a time for more study, Sister Elizabeth was then the foundation Principal of Sacred Heart School, Berrimah from 1986 to 1987. She was then appointed Principal of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Port Keats, staying there for 13 years until the end of the 2000 school year. During 2001, she has worked at the Catholic Education Office, Darwin, coordinating religious education programs in remote community schools.
Over her quarter century of service, Sister Elizabeth has been active in the Northern Territory Principals Association, the Northern Territory Catholic Principals Association and in their national counterparts. She is very well known within and beyond the profession. She enjoys widespread respect for her unflagging commitment to Catholic education, to the development of schooling in the Northern Territory, and to indigenous education. Sister Elizabeth was the recipient of the year 2000 Jim Gallacher award for Principal of the Year from the Australian Council for Education Administration (NT) Inc.
She provided strong leadership during her years as Principal of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School at Port Keats, fostering the growth of junior secondary education at the school. She contributed to and actively supported the training and employment of local people as teachers and supervised and supported the expanding VET programs attached to the school. Her support and guidance in promoting indigenous leadership at the school has been a great contribution to the life of the community and to the growth in confidence of the local people to work in effective partnership. She has made an outstanding contribution to education in the Territory over a quarter of a century. I am sure you will join with me in wishing her well in the challenges ahead of her. She moves to Sydney to work in the Provincial Office of the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Sisters at Kensington.
Helen O’Sullivan was a primary school teacher in New South Wales and the ACT before coming to Darwin to teach at Alawa Primary School in 1975. Between 1975 and 1985, Helen also taught at Tiwi and Wanguri Primary Schools. In 1986, she undertook a Diploma of Education at Darwin Institute of Technology. She returned to Wanguri Primary School for the school year in 1987. She has made a significant contribution to a number of schools through her work as a classroom teacher. She was particularly involved with the wider school community, recognising communication and an holistic approach to health was fundamental in children’s ability to learn. Her commitment to health and drug education is shown in her role as Principal Educator for the Top End Life Education Centre, a position she held for three years.
She has been an active contributor to the development and implementation of curriculum. She was the NT Coordinator for the National School Development and Health Project. She was also the Health Education Project Officer and Investigation/Research Officer in the Curriculum Advisory Support Unit. In 1995, Helen moved to the Schools Policy Branch. There she managed the Partners in Education Unit and successfully redesigned the unit to provide broader and more relevant support to school communities.
Mr Deputy Speaker, there is about another half page of that. There is nothing controversial and I seek leave of the parliament that the balance of those remarks be incorporated.
Leave granted.
Helen also effectively managed the drafting of the 1997 amendments to the Education (College and
School Councils) Regulations. As Executive Officer in the Schools Services division, Helen provided
high level advice and assistance to the minister, CEO and executive on a range of issues affecting
School Services. She also provided professional support to the Deputy Secretary during a major
restructure of the agency.
Finally, Helen has made a significant contribution to the work of the School Programs Branch where she
has reviewed and redesigned a number of established programs. Helen’s high level of integrity and
professional work practice will be missed by all who have worked with her.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I take this opportunity to put on the Parliamentary Record an experience which I had about three or four months ago at the Litchfield Bowls Club. I attended there with the member for Nelson and a number of other people and I played my very first game of lawn bowls.
Ms Scrymgour: Great game.
Mr MALEY: Great game, indeed. Under the careful guidance of the President of Litchfield Bowls Club, Joy Beck, I did my very best to keep as many of the bowls on the green and I had such a pleasurable time I went back a second time, only recently, to play the first round of the spring carnival. This time I went with a more experienced person, my dear Mum, and I took my girlfriend, Vanessa Farmer, along for her first game of bowls. I could not persuade my brother to attend and, indeed, I did not see too many of my usual cohorts and friends and the guys that I meet down at the local Noonamah Pub. In any event, it was a great evening. A good time was had by all, and I will certainly be going back. The Rural Bowls Club is an organisation which is growing. I am not sure exactly how many members they have, but there are certainly in excess of 20 or so regular players. They play on Wednesdays and Fridays and it is run, ostensibly, by the president, Joy Beck, with the assistance of her committee.
The electorate of Goyder has one high school, Taminmin High. I am very proud to be the first Taminmin High School student in parliament. After attending the recent Year 12 graduation last Friday and seeing the calibre of young people graduating at that ceremony, I have no doubt that I will not be the last. Kim Rowe is the Principal of the school and by all accounts is doing an excellent job. He certainly takes pride in his work; he has pride in our only rural high school and, probably most importantly, he takes a great deal of pride in the young people who are under his care. At the graduation night, he gave a speech about choices which all the young people who were graduating that night would have to make and, indeed, had made in the previous years at Taminmin High School.
My last year at Taminmin High School was in 1986, and it really sent home the message that time is flying when I had the pleasure of presenting a scholarship from the Taminmin High Old Scholars to a young fellow who was going on to continue his education. For the record, I would like to record into Hansard the names of the graduating class of Taminmin High, the Year 12 graduands for 2001. They are: Karina Archer, Bridgit Curtis, Lou-anne Berryman, Jared Brennan, Michael Briscoe, Hayley Burr, Sharai Dawson, John Fenwick, Christie Green - who is, of course, a well known singer - Jason Holland, Alison Howell, Thomas Jessop, Warren Jakel, Jodie Lee Klatt, Jack Lawrence - he is the young man who received the scholarship that I presented - Esma Rachel Lees, Tina McKenzie, Daniel Mumme, Donna Susan Paradise, Raquel Romano, Robert Taylor, Ross Pedersen, Helen Settele, Vanessa Withnall, Marissa Woods-McKenna, Sheryl Grey, Renee-Lea Higgs, Isaac McLean, Guy Watton, Adam Withers and John Humphris.
I understand that nearly all the graduating class attended the ceremony, and, as soon as it was finished, quite understandably, they disappeared off to their respective formals. I would like to wish these young people the best of luck in future lives and hope that it is everything that they expect it to be. Finally. I wish them, along with the Principal, staff and the students of Taminmin High, a very safe Christmas and happy new year.
On Sunday, just past, 25 November, I travelled to Wagait Beach, the community of Mandorah, and attended a meeting organised by a fellow by the name of Darryl Withnall, of the Residents Action Group. There was a good turn out, some 40 people. The meeting was called so that public support could be tested and their concerns really articulated in public, about an important issue which is affecting all the people who live on Wagait Beach, and that is the water supply shortage. They are still subject to water restrictions. Each household is allowed to consume no more than 4500 litres per week. There are exemptions. If there is a hardship, I understand an exemption can be sought and granted from the council to increase the amount of water a household receives. This is an important issue which needs to be addressed. There is basic infrastructure. A sustainable and regular water supply needs to be looked at seriously by government before Mandorah, Wagait Beach in particular, can develop and grow.
It may come as a surprise to some of the honourable members in this Chamber that Wagait Beach is only located 6 km across the harbour. The people who live at Wagait Beach can see quite clearly the lights of Darwin at night. It is a very short ferry trip across the harbour, and the majority of the people who live there work in town. They travel every morning on the ferry, conduct their business and return that evening. Despite the fact that they live incredibly close to Darwin, they are subject to water restrictions.
Darryl Withnall, the fellow who organised the meeting, did a very good job. It was attended, as I said, by a large number of people, including council representatives. He, off his own bat, had enough common sense to look at some of the options before he got there. He made inquiries of interstate suppliers and contractors and was in a position to give some broad figures of what it would cost to pipe water underneath the harbour. I understand that he has given that material to the Power and Water Authority who are looking at the option and, I assume, will get back to Darryl Withnall as the representative of the Residents Action Group, and the council. Hopefully, if there is a suitable option – I am sure there is – they will put the matter before the minister for his consideration.
What I am asking for tonight, and what I want to put on the record, is that when those options are available and they are put before the minister, they are seriously considered. Indeed, once they are considered, a timeframe can be set in which the matter can be addressed. I cannot put it any higher than that: it is a serious matter. There are people who live there. There are some 40 school children who travel to and from school. There are some large families there and they are subject to water restrictions. It really is quite unacceptable. These people live on town sized blocks; they conduct their business in town, yet they cannot water their lawn, and they do not enjoy the very basic amenities which we take for granted.
There is one other issue which I would like to place on the record, and that is the relocation of power poles on Reedbed Road and Leonino Road in the electorate of Goyder. It is an issue which has raised its head fairly regularly over the past two or three years. The residents, particularly in Leonino Road, are in the process of putting together a petition, and I wholeheartedly support that petition.
I can articulate in precise terms what the problem is: the power poles are located, not dangerously close to the road, they are on the road. The road - and I use that term very loosely - is actually a subdivision which was conducted by the then Commonwealth government some 30 or so years ago. The easements which exist between the properties are, in some situations, as little as 20 m. In this 20 m easement, there is a road, a drain and overhead power lines. What occurred is that, as the place developed, the last thing to go through was, of course, the drain. The second last thing was the road. The first thing that went through was, of course, the power lines. Unfortunately, those power lines, as I said, are not quite in the middle of the road but, certainly, in the first third of it.
It is a matter which is serious. It is a matter which was at the stage of complete resolution when the election was called in terms of a deal being struck between the Litchfield Shire Council and the then government. The member for Nelson, in his former capacity as Litchfield Shire President, certainly had some input into that arrangement, as did the former minister. What I am seeking is that first, the matter be considered by government, be brought to its attention, and secondly, that the original offer that was made by the previous administration be at least matched so that this issue can be resolved once and for all.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory undertakes sterling work on behalf of those in the community who suffer hearing loss. I rise to give formal recognition to those who received awards from the Deafness Association during this year’s Hearing Awareness Week. The following people were recognised by the Deafness Association for their work.
Rachel Kroes - Rachel is a past president of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory and is a life member of the association. Despite a considerable hearing loss, she has used her own brilliant lip-reading ability - and I note that Rachel has many times been awarded top honours in the National Lip-reading Competition run by Better Hearing Australia - to help with the association’s lip-reading classes. She has, for some years, been very successfully running sign language choirs in Darwin to open public occasions, particularly those for disabled people.
Barbara McCarthy - Barbara was voted by the Deafness Association’s committee as the newsreader most easily understood by people with a hearing loss. Lip-reading does not mean purely reading lips, but is concerned with the whole facial expression. One test of lip-reading ability is to cover the speaker’s chin and noting how much comprehension is lost by this alone. With both signers and non-signers, facial expression and body language makes communication so much better. With Barbara, this comes naturally, and long may she keep it that way.
Rosemary Mooney - Rosemary is a founding member of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory. Her daughter, Jacqui, is the current Vice-President of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory, a function she performs most skilfully despite a considerable hearing loss. The Deafness Association is well aware of the enormous influence good parenting has on any child with a hearing loss, and Rosemary’s daughter is a great tribute to both her parents. Rosemary has campaigned vigorously and with success, over the years, for the total communication program of the Stuart Park Primary Hearing Impaired Unit, and is a life member of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory.
Jeanette Scott - Jeanette has worked as an audiologist for 24 years, 12 of which have been spent in the Northern Territory, mainly in community health services. Jeanette is Principal Audiologist in the Department of Health and Community Services. As Principal Audiologist, Jeanette has been closely involved in the development of the Northern Territory Hearing Health Policy, and the development of training programs for Aboriginal health workers. Jeanette has a particular interest in public health and the relationship between hearing health and education. Recently, she chaired the Audiological Society of Australia’s working party on the development of the general guidelines for audiological practice with indigenous Australians. These practical guidelines are a primary and essential step towards improving outcomes for all health professionals working with indigenous Australians. Jeanette has also been on the Menzie’s group working party to develop recommendations for clinical care guidelines on the management of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, which were launched in Sydney on 23 August this year.
Peter Tibbits - Peter was the first person to bring home to the Deafness Association the necessity for an NT Tinnitus Group to match other parts of Australia. In the past, tinnitus has been dismissed as incurable by doctors. However, in the past few years, a new method has been promoted Australiawide: tinnitus retraining therapy, which can help over 90% of severe tinnitus sufferers. Peter has been the mover and shaker in setting up the recently formed NT Tinnitus Group under the auspices of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory.
Trevor Tschirpig – Trevor, as a member of the Northern Territory Tinnitus Group, approached the Kiwanis Club for a grant to cover the expense of a visit from Adelaide of Judith Boswell, an audiologist specialist in tinnitus retraining therapy. The Deafness Association of the Northern Territory matched the Kiwanis grant, and with the assistance of the Northern Territory government, enough funds were raised for Judith to come to Darwin at the beginning of Hearing Awareness Week. Judith provided training to a range of professions and introduced the public to the benefits of this treatment. We now have practitioners providing this treatment therapy in the Territory, in line with the rest of Australia.
Lee Upton - The importance of understanding employers, for people who lose their hearing, cannot be too strongly emphasised. The psychological effect on people at work who suddenly lose their hearing can be devastating and to have an employer who will do their utmost to accommodate this loss is of vital importance. Lee is one such employer. When an employee suddenly became totally deaf, she received such support from Lee as to significantly minimise the effect. Frequently, employers are far less understanding than Lee, and this award demonstrates the appreciation of the Deafness Association.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to make a couple of comments about a matter that has been quite close to my heart for some time, and that is the issue of the Aboriginal Interpreter Service provided and paid for by the Northern Territory government. I remember, not that long ago, the member for Nhulunbuy, who was at that time in opposition, coming to this Chamber and raising on 17 August 1999 a Matter of Public Importance. The debate was started by Mr Speaker reading out the following, and it was a letter addressed to him from the member for Nhulunbuy:
The importance of interpreter services was outlined by the member for Arafura’s predecessor, Maurice Rioli. I would like to quote from his speech when he spoke in relation to the important needs for interpreter services in the Northern Territory:
I believe that was an accurate assessment by the then member for Arafura, and I know that this was a matter particularly close to his heart. Indeed, the story that he tells of the poor lady who lost her toes demonstrates it.
In fact, I would suggest that should a person find themselves in a similar circumstance in the modern litigious age, there is a chance that it would not be long before the cost of interpreter service would be lost - or the cost of the interpreter services would be justified - with only two or three cases ending up before the courts. It is with some dismay then that I listened this morning to the Minister for Justice’s comments in relation to a whole-of-government approach to the development of an appropriate and just method of delivering government services, especially in the area of law. Yet what we have here in the minister’s speech this morning, or in this Budget Paper No 2, is actually a cut to the interpreter service, when, in fact, the then Chief Minister - referring back to the MPI in 1999 - projected that it was going to require an increase in funding - in its infancy $1m, and then more. I think that that was still a worthwhile amount of money to spend. Indeed, the Northern Territory government at the time did choose to spend the money, ultimately, and set up an interpreter services.
I urge the Minister for Justice to turn his attention to this issue, in light of the whole-of-government approach that he talked about this morning and bring pressure to bear on his colleagues that the funding for the interpreter service should not be cut, but increased so that the outcomes for traditional people, who are subject of legal proceedings and medical procedures, do not find themselves in the situation where a service that was once provided is suddenly being cut.
This money should be increased, because concur with the former member for Arafura that such services will ultimately save government money. I firmly believe that and I find myself angst-ridden at the decision by the Treasurer to hack into this service. I am sure that deep down, the Minister for Justice must be gagging at the thought of having to cut into this service because I know it is a service that he was fairly passionate about in his time.
Therefore, I urge the Northern Territory government to turn its attention to this issue and revisit the funding allocations that they decided upon for the supply of this service because at the end of the day, one of the major criticisms that were levelled at the Northern Territory government in the past was that failure to fund such a service was, in the long run, going to be a more expensive exercise.
I turn to another issue which was raised with me recently, and I think it is worth mentioning in this House. It is not going to be a criticism of government, but something that I believe government should visit in terms of helping the financial situation in some remote communities. It has arisen out of a situation in a small community in my electorate where a community was in the habit of not registering its vehicles, misunderstanding the law of the Northern Territory. They found themselves with several vehicles that had never travelled out of the community, just travelled in and around the community and were used for odd jobs.
I know that the Northern Territory government is in the habit of providing for pastoral registration, which is a cheaper version for pastoralists who move around on their own land for the purposes of doing the business of running the pastoral property. That form of registration is fairly inexpensive and covers all of the third party personal liabilities in terms of insurance. I would hope that the Northern Territory government would perhaps think it is worthwhile to consider revisiting such a registration system for remote communities where the vehicles that operate in those communities rarely or never leave those communities. Those vehicles, effectively, never get out of second gear, driving around the community.
It seems a bit of a burden to ask a community to register X number of vehicles with full imposts in terms of costs. I am not entirely sure how you would define a remote community and you will run into other small legislative problems, but I think it would be worthwhile visiting the idea of finding a method by which we can provide a system of registration which allows for community vehicles that operate within a particular radius around a community, a cheaper registration option. These communities are often run on a shoestring and the smell of an oily rag. I am often astounded that the communities can achieve as much as they do on their fairly limited budgets. I would like to think that the government is in a position to assist, from time to time, and I think that this is one of those occasions. I will be writing to the minister and suggesting a similar idea to him, because I think it is worth doing – if not worth doing, at least worth following up.
I raise one further issue with the Northern Territory government and that is the Lasseter Highway, which has been the target of certain safety restrictions placed on it in recent time, including the announcement of 110 km/h speed limit along the highway. I understand the importance and the necessity for the management and care of highways in the Northern Territory to make them as safe as possible for all road users including Territorians as well as tourists from other countries.
It was brought to my attention in recent times that the Transport and Works Department had visited pastoral properties along the length of the Lasseter Highway and had made certain comments in relation to access and egress routes from the highway itself. Indeed, there was a very nasty accident on an access and egress route on 31 December 1999 which led to the tragic death of three Central Australians. However, I would ask the minister to turn his attention to the types of routes that he is raising issues with, specifically those access and egress routes which are the responsibility of the Northern Territory government itself in terms of finding gravel and finding access for other purposes that the government has pursued.
I know that the government has created many of these routes along the length of the Lasseter Highway in the past. I would ask that before the government becomes too strong in its concentration on the cattle stations themselves, that they also turn their attention to the routes that they have created over time and either tidy them up of shut them down so that the road may become safer. I know that the pastoralists along the route are concerned about the deaths which have occurred on that road over the years and I am sure that they want to do their bit, but I believe that government should also do its bit in terms of making sure that those routes on and off pastoral properties and other properties are properly maintained so that the best outcomes and the safest outcomes can be obtained for all.
Dr TOYNE (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, you are right up with the times, I see. Before I get into the topic I want to talk about, I would like to respond quickly to the member for Macdonnell regarding the interpreter service. That is before Cabinet at the moment. We had an initial submission earlier on. The cuts that you are talking about are whole-of-government cuts that the mini-budget encompassed. We are looking specifically at the interpreter service with the aim of trying make a greater penetration. That will come back to us in another week or so, and I am sure we will be looking very sympathetically at it.
I would like to talk about the ongoing saga of the Ilparpa Swamp and sewage ponds. For once, I can actually get up and give – with great delight – an optimistic announcement about it. That is that the native title holders have approved immediate construction of a drainage channel to take away the water prior to the worst of the Wet Season to alleviate the problem of mosquitos that has emerged around there. I would like to give great credit to the native title holders. In the negotiations over the last week or so, they have been very cooperative, they have been very anxious to find a resolution on behalf of all people in the area. It is a tribute to them that we have come up with a very quick solution to allow at least an alleviation of the problems that have been caused by the build up of water flowing out of the final treatment ponds. That won’t fix the problem in the long term, but it certainly will give an alleviation to that part of Alice Springs in the short term.
On the long term solution, work is continuing with Phil Anning and his committee. They are currently working on no less than four alternatives for the reuse of that water in various forms of horticulture and agriculture. There is certainly a possibility for small amounts of the water to be piped across to a hydroponic production that already exists there. There is also a possibility that native title holders themselves may get involved in that type of production using the water supply. I was very pleased to hear that there was that active element to the negotiations to say that we may see that the native title holders themselves become commercially active in that sort of operation.
Equally, there are three other sites: one on behalf of indigenous proponents and two others on behalf of would-be developers of agricultural and horticultural projects who are very anxious to talk to Phil Anning and his committee about the use of that water. It is a very good water supply for that type of purpose because it is not only water, but it also has lots of nutrients in it that make it very suitable for things such as fodder production on broad acre agricultural development or orchard based horticulture. I am very confident at this stage that the committee will be presenting some proper formed-up options for Cabinet to have a look at.
Some of those options would involve the proponents of the developments putting up the initial money for the infrastructure. We may find that we can even defer any government expenditure on major infrastructural developments such as pipelines and other infrastructure that might be needed to distribute the water. I am pretty confident we will come up with a good solution. I would welcome input from anyone, both private sector and members of parliament. If you have ideas, put them forward.
We are under a very active process at the moment and we want to fix this in a much smarter way than just simply evaporating water up into the atmosphere and breeding mozzies. We are not far off. I think we will have all the water currently overflowing, drained down into the Todd River flood out. That is in the short term. In the longer term, I think we can get some primary industry activities going additional to what is there at the moment, using that water. It is a very precious resource. The fact that it has been really squandered for so long, in addition to causing the health problems, means it needs fixing and it needs fixing fast.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the member for Stuart for commenting on the Ilparpa Swamp. It is a very positive move. Saving 2000 megalitres of water per year in Alice Springs in the desert is obviously a very strong and positive issue to deal with. If the water can be used productively, I am sure that is going to be very good also. I went to South Australia to look at the sewage treatment plant that they have at Bolivar and how they harvest to water and then use it for horticulture in the northern parts of Adelaide.
While I am on my feet, I would like to draw your attention to the last sittings when I commented that the Labor Party push-polled in the electorate of Greatorex - or perhaps to the exclusion of the other electorates in Central Australia. When I mentioned that, there were vehement interjections by members opposite. You may also recall what I asked was: why did the Labor Party, when they rang constituents in Greatorex, only canvass Greatorex and none of the other seats? Perhaps - and I asked at that time - it was because I was Chinese and therefore the Labor Party thought that it should target me because of that whereas the candidates for the other electorates were Caucasian, Anglo Celtic and a Dutchman. There was quite a remarkable amount of reaction from members opposite.
At a later stage, I was commenting on the minister for education’s statement and, at that time, I spoke about my history as a foreign student coming to Australia as a young teenager to study in schools here, then going on from there to university, and ultimately to becoming a member of parliament. I used the words ‘dominant culture’ and that also evoked a huge response from members opposite. I recall at that time - while I did not mention it in my speech - that the member for Karama, the member for Sanderson and the member for Arafura took great exception to what I had to say and actually left the Chamber. Anyway, be that as it may, obviously there was something that they felt that they should be here to listen to.
Let me bring it back into context. When you talk about the dominant culture, I came here as a racial minority, as an ethnic minority, as a language minority, and I had to learn the language, the culture, how to behave, how to eat with a knife and fork, how to speak properly - I hope I am speaking properly - and how to think in the way that mainstream culture, the dominant culture, the white culture - call it what you may - I had to learn all that. We all in this Chamber had to learn the conduct of this behaviour. If we were, let us take for example, living in China, but having been born in Australia of Anglo Celtic heritage, and you planned to live in China for the rest of your life? Do you not need to learn their culture, their language, their system of government, if you ever want to survive there? The member for Arafura looks at me with a smirk on her face. I mean, no different, I am not being racist here. You had to learn the same things I had to learn about this culture we are in - no different. I actually took exception to the fact that those three members thought I was being racist. That was the farthest thought from my mind and perhaps they were the ones who were racist who could not see the logic behind all that. Maybe that is what it was, that they in their misguided way, felt that they had the monopoly on being fair, being right and being non-racist. Take a few steps back and you might see that there are many, many ways of perceiving the right thing. Members in the Labor Party do not have a monopoly on being right all the time.
What actually upsets me really is that there is the holier-than-thou attitude amongst some of the members and that holier-than-thou attitude is not borne out of real experience. I grant you that the member for Arafura would be truly experienced in cross-cultural matters, that she would have had to learn as she grew up about cross-cultural matters, in a lot more personal way than a white person living in Australia ever could. If you even had an opportunity to live in an Aboriginal community, you would still go in there with the mental attitude that you are not going into a place where you become a minority because, culturally, you came from a dominant group and you are moving into a place – yes, you are a racial minority in a sense of numbers, because you are one of a few in a large group of another race. But you go in there with the mental attitude that you come from the dominant culture. In many ways, you tend not to conform to all the things that are there in the community. That is the big difference.
I used to argue with feminists about the similarities between being an ethnic minority or being a gender minority. Sometimes, there were comments made that women have to wear pants, women have to behave like men in certain circumstances. Now, I do not know whether that is right or wrong, I have not delved into that in any significant way. My thoughts would be that, if you want to succeed in a particular forum, sometimes you need to adopt the behaviour of the group otherwise you get nowhere. You are not heard and you are not seen, and that is the problem. We all really do have to learn about the dominant culture, and that is what I seek your agreement on. Now if you do not, that is fine. I would like to hear your argument why I am wrong, if you think I am wrong.
Dr Burns: Assimilationist.
Dr LIM: Assimilationist? Okay. let’s take the interjection from the member for Johnston: ‘Assimilationist’. What do you want in your life? No more different from what the Member for Arafura wants in her life or what I want from my life. We want the best …
Dr Burns: Assimilationist and reductionist.
Dr LIM: Well, let me come back to assimilation in a little while. We all want nearly the same things. We want good food, a good home, the chance to improve our lives and our childrens lives. Really, that is what it is. Now, whether this race wants …
Ms Scrymgour: Love, love, love. Does that become part of it?
Dr LIM: … all those things that we all want. That is right. Now, you have one race that wants to achieve that; another race wants to achieve that. Ultimately, it is there together. So who is assimilating whom? You guys think about assimilation in a racial way. I am saying: ‘Step back, don’t think about it in a racial way. It is all peoples wanting the same thing, getting there in their own separate ways, but ultimately getting to the same point in history’. So, what is assimilation? No different than if I went into an Aboriginal community and lived there instead of living in white Australia for the last 35 years. What would I be? Would I be assimilated into there or have I been assimilated into Australian culture? Yes! I practice Chinese culture. So where is the assimilation? You have to step back from that and really think twice about your preconceived ideas, your prejudices, yourselves. Really, it is time that you move away from that and think seriously about your …
Members interjecting.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Could all the members, please, not get into a cross-Chamber debate. Address any discourse through the Chair please?
Dr LIM: I am ignoring some of the interjections, Mr Deputy Speaker, as you are well aware, and I intend to continue to speak about that. Members opposite belittle my personal ideology, but I think if they thought about it - especially the Member for Arafura who continues to giggle throughout my speech - she had to learn. She had to study, she had to learn and if she did not, she would not be here today. She would not. That is the issue I am trying to make, that we all have to learn what this country has to offer, grasp it with our hands, capitalise with it and then make something from our lives.
That is what Professor Fred Hollows used to say: ‘Don’t lead Aboriginal people into an evolutionary cul-de-sac’. Those were his words and he was talking about people who have some misguided sense of justice to try and save the noble savage, whatever that means. What it is about, is imparting skills to everybody who wishes to learn those skills so that they can use those skills to then determine for themselves how far they achieve in this society. That is important, and that is what I believe all of us have a responsibility to do: to impart those skills that we have to those who do not, to allow them then to decide for themselves what their life is going to be. We talk about self-determination and in control of our own destinies. That is what it is about. We provide them with the skills to achieve whatever they want to achieve. That is what it is, and that was really the context of what I tried to say. I hope members opposite will consider it seriously.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight to talk about a number of issues and people in my electorate of Johnston. First of all, Mr John and Mrs Anne McDonough of Hare Street, Moil celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a small gathering of family and friends in my electorate office. I was pleased to present them letters of congratulations from the Chief Minister, the Administrator, the Prime Minister, the then Opposition Leader, Mr Beazley, the Governor-General of Australia, and the Queen. John and Anne McDonough are a wonderful couple and they have had a long involvement with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra. At a recent fund raiser for the DSO, Nan McDonough gave a beautiful recital of the poem The Magnolia Tree.
I was privileged to present a cheque for approximately $7000 to Craig Cousins who is President of the Jingili BMX Club. This grant was to assist the club in upgrading drainage works on the track. I should point out that the club was actually promised $10 000 by the previous government just prior to the election. In fact, they were actually presented with a giant cheque for $10 000 but they only received $3000. Through the efforts of the committee lobbying with the current government, we gave them the balance of that $10 000, which was $7000. I might say, that particular trick really did not earn the previous government a lot of friends with the Jingili BMX Club. They are a great group and they provide a wonderful outlet for youth in the area and it is a great sport for young people.
In terms of Casuarina Senior College, on Saturday, 24 November, together with my wife and daughter, I attended the exhibition held at Brown’s Mart by students studying the Certificate in Art and Design at Casuarina Senior College. I really do have to compliment the school and, in particular, the Principal of Casuarina Senior College, Mr Steve Sjoberg, for his outstanding support of artistic endeavour of the students. It was a wonderful exhibition.
We heard today there have been a few concerns raised in the electorate over the school-based constable issue and I believe that the Deputy Chief Minister addressed that comprehensively in his answer to a question here today. I am very pleased to support that position because school-based constables play a wonderful role within our schools.
In relation to Moil Primary School, Magenta Bennett-Kellman of Higgs Street, Moil, was a Territory winner of the Nestl Write Around Australia competition. It is an incredible achievement because there were 33 000 entries Australia-wide. Magenta had great delight in personally presenting the school with $500 worth of books for the library, and was ecstatic to have won $500 worth of books for herself.
Moil Primary School was abundantly represented at the recent Science Teachers’ Association of the Northern Territory Science Competition. I congratulate the school and the following winners: Rebecca Cass, Mallory McGuinness and Dominique Glass for the Year T3 Investigations; Megan Party for Year T3 Posters; George Rayns for Year T3 Innovations; Mrs Young’s class for Year 4-5 Innovations; Samantha Leung for Year 6-7 Investigation; and Paolo Calvi and James Roberts for Year 6-7 Innovation. These are outstanding results.
Moil Primary School are very sad to be losing the services of long-term Darwin resident Noel Foley, who is a renowned artist. Noel spent three years giving art classes for the students within the Moil Primary School. Noel now has 70 students and will be displaying their work at an exhibition from 28 to30 November. Noel is relocating to Canberra next year and will be sorely missed by the Moil Primary School. Paul’s Pty Ltd presented Moil Primary School with a cheque for $1583.30 for collecting bottle caps. This is well done for a committed effort by the kids at Moil Primary School and a great fundraiser for them.
I would also like to compliment Jenny Glass, who has been chairperson and a member of the Moil School Council for the past two years, and she is leaving. We all wish her well and the best in her endeavours in future. The work contributed by members of school councils is selfless and time-consuming, but has to be done. People taking on these positions are to be congratulated.
Jingili Primary School celebrated 30 years of quality education last week with breakfast and concerts, and photographic displays inviting ex-students to exhibit their photographs in the school collection. I attended these events and I can report that they were great community events. There was a kid’s expo held at Jingili kindergarten on 27 October to celebrate Children’s Week. The expo, which was coordinated by Amanda Bagley, was amazing. Amanda did a fantastic job in bringing together many groups, and the whole event attracted a very big crowd. It was my pleasure to assist with the sausage sizzle on the day.
Wagaman Primary School has had quite a number of events also. At the end of October, Mr Rob Preswell, Principal of Wagaman Primary School, transferred to Jabiru on a temporary basis. Assistant Principal of Anula Primary, Michelle Cody, is now Acting Principal at Wagaman and is impressed with the academic and social standing of the children at the school. I wish both Rob and Michelle the best in their respective new jobs.
Points of interest occurring in the Wagaman school: the parents are working on a marketing brochure to promote Wagaman school, and this will be distributed in December and January; the Multicultural Council of the NT will be conducting their vacation program at Wagaman School during the month of January, and they will be focusing on language and cultural activity; the Wagaman school is in rehearsal mode for the end of year concert, to be held on 12 December; the Wagaman school is to be applauded for the development of intervention programs to improve literacy and numeracy of indigenous students at the school. If I could just compliment the work of Mr Rob Presswell, whom I have known for many years. Rob Presswell is an innovator in education, he has worked in NTETA, he has worked in many different sectors of education. Whichever sector Rob Presswell works in, he always brings a lot of energy and success and innovative ideas. Rob Presswell is a credit to our Northern Territory education system. We are very fortunate to have people of the calibre of Rob Presswell working in our education system. A multi-media network of iMacs in the Wagaman school library has been developed to facilitate enhanced research presentation, and support updating of the Wagaman school website.
On 17 November, the Darwin Youth and Children’s Choir, presented Happiness is When You Sing at the Darwin Entertainment Centre, which was a wonderful display of talent. I commend the wonderful work done by Mrs Emma Tantengco, who lives in Moil, who is the driving force behind this talented group. It was a great pleasure to see the beautiful faces of the children as they sang with so much enjoyment. It is also great to see young people engaged in such creative and positive activities.
Speaking of talent, I was privileged to attend a concert given by Bernadine Crute, who is also a Wagaman resident, and who lives in the Johnston electorate. As we all know, Bernadine has a fantastic talent. She has been accepted to study at the McDonald Performing Arts College in Sydney and I am sure all members wish her well and all the best at this prestigious school. I believe that Bernadine is going to achieve her dream to sing all the way to Broadway. She has a fantastic talent and is a Territory talent through and through.
Hayley Dargan of Yeadon Circuit, Moil, has a dream different to Bernadine. She wants to compete for Australia in the gymnastics at the Olympic Games. On her way to achieving this dream, Hayley has been selected to compete in the Reach for the Stars competition in Canberra next week. Hayley has told me she is getting excited, though a little nervous about going away, especially as it will be her first time in a plane. I wish her all the best in her dream, and in the competition.
I would like to congratulate the president of the Hakka Association of the Northern Territory, Mr John Lay, for the association’s dinner dance held on 3 November. The Hakka society showed my wife and I great hospitality and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Similarly, the Pinoy Association held its fundraiser coordinated by Mr Arsenio de Guzman, on 27 October. I would like to acknowledge the wonderful work the association has achieved over its 11 years, in assisting members of the Filipino community.
I was also pleased to be a part of the Danila Dilba Health Service’s 10th anniversary celebration. The achievements in supporting health improvements, redressing socioeconomic disadvantaged and promoting self-reliance and pride in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Darwin region is to be highly commended.
I attended the Neighbourhood Watch conference that was held on Saturday, 3 November, at the NTU. The conference was well attended and the main business pertained to changes in the constitution - particularly giving the organisation more autonomy - whilst still maintaining the important linkages and support through their long-standing relationship with the NT police. Last Saturday, I also attended the Neighbourhood Watch Christmas party at the Police Training Centre. I would like to congratulate Sergeant Rod Strong, Mr Alf Leonardi and all the Neighbourhood Watch volunteers for the great work they do in our community.
On Friday evening, 23 November, I was invited to give a speech at the valedictory ceremony for international students at the Northern Territory University. The valedictory ceremony was held to recognise efforts and achievements of international students who all return home prior to the official graduation ceremony to be held in May 2002. The students were presented with a stole, designed and made by fashion students of the NTU. Let us hope that, with this token, these students will remember their time in Australia with pleasure. I believe these students will be great ambassadors for the Territory.
On Saturday night, 24 November, along with the member for Blain, I attended the Rotoract Christmas party on behalf of the Chief Minister. Rotaract is a youth group who undertake projects to support the community. Once again, it was a great privilege to meet so many young people who are positive role models for Territory youth. It was also a pleasure to meet many Rotarians who contribute so much to our community.
To complete my adjournment speech here tonight, I would like to acknowledge the presence, here in parliament, of my son, David Burns. David is graduating from the RAAF as an officer at the end of this year, and certainly his mother and I are very proud of him. I think we can all be proud of all the young people in our services, they are ready to serve their country. I am also proud of David because he was a Junior Police Ranger. I know the father of the member opposite, Mr Baldwin, has been a great prime mover in that particular youth organisation. We are very grateful, as a family, that our son was able to participate in the Junior Police Rangers. It certainly equipped him well to enter the armed services.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak today about a long-term Territorian who passed away last week and was buried this morning at the Thorak Cemetery. I acknowledge the assistance of Jan and Wal Tracy for the following story.
This long-term Territorian was Clem Benson, and for those who have been involved in the horticultural industry in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, his name will bring fond memories.
Clem was born in Maryland, New South Wales, in March 1924. He enlisted in the army at 16 and was stationed in Darwin. He served with the Darwin Infantry Battalion and survived the Japanese air raids during 1942 to be drafted into the 2/3 Independent Company. He then joined the Commandos and served in New Guinea and Borneo. Whilst serving in New Guinea, he was wounded during the defence of Wau, and then evacuated to the mainland. On recovery, he saw action in New Guinea before the war ended. After the war, Clem went farming in Burrawang, New South Wales.
He and his wife, Betty, had two girls, Libby and Di and, in 1959, sold their property and Clem came back for another look at Darwin. He had seen an advertisement for a technical officer with Primary Industries at Berrimah. The family decided ‘This is it’, and bought a house in Gregory Street at Fannie Bay. Clem then started working for the department, mainly occupied with vegetable growing. He was instrumental in introducing new vegetable and mango varieties to the Territory. He was once described as the grandfather of the mango industry.
For much of the time, he was the only horticulturist with Primary Industries, and he covered the entire Northern Territory - commercial farms, pastoral station gardens, Aboriginal settlement gardens, and conducting the full range of research, extension and development projects. That is where I met him. I was a fresh young bloke out of Melbourne who had just studied horticultural science, and turned up at Daly River. As I have said to other people, you do not often find bananas growing in Melbourne, so when you come along and, all of a sudden, are confronted with bananas, you wonder what the heck they were. Clem was a bloke who was able to teach me how to cultivate bananas. He also introduced me to sweet potatoes and snake beans, something that, in the early days, nobody ever bothered to look at, especially snake beans. Now you will find them on nearly every table in a Darwin restaurant as a replacement for the southern beans.
He was a pioneer of the Northern Territory horticultural industry, carrying out extensive research into all vegetable species and many tree crops. This would rank him with the Holtzes as a major contributor to scientific knowledge about horticulture production in the Northern Territory. Clem worked closely with pioneering commercial producers in demonstration and extension projects, and was enormously respected. Clem’s contribution to horticulture extended beyond the commercial and scientific areas to the general community. He was a foundation member of the Knuckeys Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary, the Knuckeys Lagoon Recreation Reserve, the NT Palm Society, and the NT Nurseryman’s Association. He was involved with the ABC Gardening program, and - for those who can go back a few years - he used to do what Darryl South does today on Saturday mornings. The Project Garden City Committee had its inception in 1976, which has now become the Garden Spectacular. He was a judge at Royal Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, Fred’s Pass and Adelaide River Shows.
While this was all happening, Clem bought a block of land at Knuckeys Lagoon and completed a house in December 1973. This was replaced after the advent of Cyclone Tracy in December 1974. Clem continued working with the nursery industry and much of that industry’s present success is based on the foundations laid down by Clem. Within government and outside government, he was a tireless advocate of its potential. Clem and Betty were producers and strong supporters of the nursery association. Clem retired from the department in 1981. Nurseries and vegetable growing always remained Clem’s passion in retirement.
Clem made a wonderful contribution to the Territory, not only for his contribution to the horticultural industry, but as a wonderful human being. I know his family will miss him dearly, as he was also a great family man. Perhaps that came from his closeness to nature through his love of gardening, sometimes, an aspect that modern horticulture has lost because of the big-business emphasis on the industry. For me, he was a mentor, an educator, a gentleman and a friend. There is no doubt that when people say that a deceased person is in God’s garden, it is especially true for Clem. I will miss him, may he rest in peace.
Mr BALDWIN (Daly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I want to place on the record my best wishes for a number of those public servants who are retiring, and join with the Police Minister, first and foremost, for wishing Commissioner Brian Bates and his wife all the very best in their retirement. I had the great pleasure of working with Brian on a number of occasions, in all sorts of different situations. He is a great fellow, greatly admired by his co-workers, and one who has brought so much to the Territory. I believe that after Brian and Margaret take a well-deserved break, they are intending to stay here in the Northern Territory, which will be fantastic. I wish him well in his retirement, after serving the Territory community so well for the last seven or so years.
To Mr Bob Beadman, as well, who is retiring very shortly - in fact, in the next couple of weeks. I had many occasions of working with Bob, both as a backbencher and as his responsible minister, and his advice was always good. We did not necessarily agree eye-to-eye sometimes, but that was the great thing about Bob, he would let you know when he had a different opinion. Certainly, always his advice to me was respected, and he had a great respect amongst the people he worked with over so many years. I certainly wish him and his wife all the best in their retirement.
The same goes for David Hawkes, who has, as we have heard, given so much to the Territory public service and the development of the public sector, as the longest-serving commissioner in Australia. So much can be said about the work that David has done, but I think it is fair to say that everybody who dealt with him certainly respected his advice, and his handling of all of those industrial relation and public service issues over so many years. I wish him and his family all the best, as well.
I want to put on the public record my sincere condolences to the Ah Toy family on the passing of Lily Ah Toy recently. I attended the funeral on the weekend - a great service it was too - and well attended, as you would expect for somebody who had given so much to the Territory, with such a well-known family. The eulogy that Laurence gave was, I thought, very fitting about his mother, and told her story in such eloquent words. She will certainly be sadly missed by the family, of course, but by so many other Territorians she touched over very many years. Her contributions have been laid down in the Hansard in this House by the previous Chief Minister, and are good words to read for those who have not had the opportunity. My condolences to the family on the passing of Lily.
The same goes to the family of Clem Benson, as well. Clem has been a stalwart of the rural industry development here in the Northern Territory. He was a well-known fellow, well-known family, and it is sad to see his passing as well.
While I am on my feet, I take the opportunity to give my best wishes to everybody in my electorate. This time of the year, for those who might be new in the House, it is a timely occasion for people to stand up and thank and wish a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year, for those who have assisted them and who make our jobs possible and all those other things. I will do that by, first, thanking all the of staff here in the Legislative Assembly. They obviously are a great help to us, to make this operate. The Clerk and all of the staff here, thank you very much and best wishes for the Christmas period and for the new year. Likewise to the staff of the Leader of the Opposition’s office. They do a great job, as some of you on the other side might know - very limited resources, but do a fantastic job anyway. To all the members here, have a Merry Christmas after this break, and I look forward to seeing you all next year. To all of the constituents of the electorate of Daly, for their support in the recent election, I look forward to working with them over the next 4 years, and wish them well, as well. I remind them that if they are driving, as they will be, a lot of them - being a very big rural electorate - take care on our roads, which are good roads. Nonetheless, take care during that Christmas period.
To my wife and family also, who obviously assist in making my job a lot easier, best wishes to them. Thank you very much and have a very Merry Christmas, you all.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to make comment tonight on some of the very special events that I attended in Alice Springs recently. I was very pleased to be able to visit the Alice Springs Hospital and look at some of the new building works that are going on there.
One of the very special places I visited was the Special Care Nursery. This is where the pre-term babies stay until they are well enough to go home. I was very pleased to be asked to open the Christmas party for those children who commenced their lives in the Special Care Nursery. It has been caring for the special needs of sick and premature infants for over 20 years, but I have to admit that the new facility that has been built is great. I know because recently I visited there, having a brand new granddaughter just born. The care with which those nurses look after those pre-term babes and the general feel that they have - the caring atmosphere is great.
Many of these babies are admitted to the nursery with multiple problems, there is no doubt about that, and are provided with very high-tech intensive and specialised acute health care. These infants and children, in order to achieve their full potential after their discharge from the hospital, need long-term integrated support involving not only health and medical allied services but, more importantly, the support of their families and of course, of our community. The wonderful thing about this Christmas party was the doctors and nurses decided to host this gathering of these babies who were patients at the start of their lives. It was really great to see these little ones come in at different ages and the doctors and nurses greet them and say: ‘Look at you! How much you have grown. How well you are doing’. There was a great affinity there between the people who had cared for these young children and the parents.
The objective of getting them all together was to foster a way for parents and the care givers of these babies to find each other, to share their knowledge and their experiences and share questions and answers that they had in bringing up these very special babies, and to increase the awareness of the special needs of these pre-term infants and children among the policy makers in our community. This was the first of its kind in Central Australia, this particular Christmas party for these special care children, and the staff at the special care nursery were very proud to have taken this initiative. We have to commend them greatly, because they are very busy people within their lives. They were delighted to see so many people turn up.
Yamba turned up with the Bush Fairy as well, and it was great to see the staff, the doctors and the nurses leading everyone in Christmas carols. They had gone to a lot of trouble to fundraise for this particular event and to meet the expenses. I know they hope that it will become an annual event. To see nurses and doctors so dedicated to young children, even after they leave the hospital and their care, was very warm and touching.
Special congratulations must go to Dr Bolisetty for this initiative; to Bronwyn Taylor who MC’ed the whole event; to Martel Dayman who was the parent representative and who spoke very feelingly to all the parents there; to Mick Bell who represented the Hospital Management Board; and the Kiwani Club who were there to help also. And, of course, to all the nurses and doctors and medical staff who gave so freely of their time. It was really a very touching and a great event.
The other special event I attended, and I was very pleased to be able to open, was the 40th birthday celebrations of Ross Park Primary School. I have a long association with Ross Park Primary School. It opened in 1961 and, as a very young person, I taught there in 1962. Graeme and I had left Melbourne. We had gone opal mining at Andamooka, not very successfully, so we badly needed a job. We went to Alice Springs and I was very pleased to be able to get a teaching position at Ross Park. A class of 41 Year 1s and, looking back, it was an absolute piece of cake because I had just left a class of 55 Year 1s in Melbourne, so I thought I was on clover.
I was employed by the South Australian Education Department, who ran all the schools in the Northern Territory at the time, and there was a very set curriculum. Very few frills at all, there was not much time for anything except the things you had to do, the basics. There was also no transition class in the system of South Australia at that time. So 5-year-olds went straight into Year 1. I basically had to teach them how to read, how to write, how to spell, how to do their arithmetic - we didn’t call it maths then - how to count, and all those things. It was hard on our 5-year-olds because we also did not have the preschool system that prepared them for formal learning. But we got there, and I do not know how many young children I have taught to read in my time.
It also was a time when the inspector came into your classes as a teacher, and sat in and watched you teach, and then wrote a report on you. It is something I do not think unions would allow these days, because it was a very nervous time for teachers, when the inspector came. Of course, we all had that old trick, we used to say in class: ‘If you know the answer, put up your right hand. If you do not know the answer, put up your left’. So it looked as though we had a class full of answers, which was great!
Ross Park was considered a very modern school when it was built in 1961, compared to the old Hartley Street School. It had flushing toilets and that was quite something in Alice Springs. There were only about 4000 people in Alice Springs at the time, it was a growing place. Ross Park was a great design and even today, it still holds up to that with single classrooms coming out onto verandahs with a centre quadrangle, which is grassed, and an assembly area. That has stood the test of time, that design, it really has. It has been a school which has enjoyed a very good reputation.
The preparation for the birthday celebrations included a display of photos, newspaper cuttings from back in those days, and memorabilia. This historic account had been put together by the birthday committee and they also used a lot of contributions from a teacher, Mary Blaiklock, who also taught there in 1963. The evening was a great success with many parents and families attending. There was a school concert, the launch of their cookery book, the sale of special bricks for a special wall and a barbecue for families. It was compered by Paul Fitzsimons, a teacher I team taught with in the 1970s at Ross Park. We were quite an innovative school in those days trying out things that were considered quite radical, but these days, of course, are taken as a matter of fact. It was also pleasing to see some of the students I had taught there with their young families, attending that particular celebration.
I must commend the Ross Park staff, the principal, Sue Crowe, and her committee of helpers, the parents who were involved, for a wonderful night. To be able to get together and celebrate a school in the Territory of 40 years of history was really good.
The other particular event I attended was the Trainee Presentation Night. I had the pleasure of presenting some certificates that night. These trainees were all from government departments and I really commend the government and all the departments involved. I hope that next year they will take on more trainees, because it gives those students who leave school all those particular skills they need. It is a credit to the trainees that they all completed their apprenticeships in such a short time and so successfully. They are a very bright group of young people who gave you a feeling of faith in young people today, when you saw them. They had obviously developed a great deal of collegiality and friendship. But, most of all, they were a credit to themselves because they had worked so hard to pass their certificates 1 and 2 in Business Studies. I commended the government departments who had taken on young people and put them through this particular apprenticeship. Special mention must go to Marg Johnson, Judy Parkinson from DCIS for their encouragement and mentoring of the trainees, and to the two lecturers from Central Australia, Emma Wainwright and Melissa Valdez.
I would like to have incorporated the names of the trainees who were presented with those certificates. I seek leave to table this paper.
Leave granted.
Mrs BRAHAM: Thank you for that. I wish all these young trainees all the best in the future. I am quite sure they will be a credit to themselves. Some of them have already managed to find jobs, some are going on to university. I have no doubt those who have not found jobs will be picked up by people who are looking for people with such great skills. I commend the government departments for doing this and hope they continue.
Finally, I need to make comment on a comment made by the member for Greatorex. He has written to me and made an accusation concerning my comments in the House on 23 October. The member for Greatorex has, in fact, misinterpreted my comments. He seems to have misconstrued what I said, and he implied that I said that he read out the names of petitioners when presenting a petition concerning the Salvation Army’s closure of the hostel for homeless men. I said that he tabled the petition and I quote:
His interpretation seems to be that I said he read out the names in parliament before he presented the petition, a complete misinterpretation of what I said and, certainly, a misunderstanding because no one ever does that. What the member, though, should be doing, in fact - instead of having another go at me – is ringing up those people and apologising for what happened.
I spoke to one of those people recently and he was appalled and shocked that his signature on this petition was misconstrued as a political action against the CLP. He signed the petition in good faith, as he genuinely believed in what it was saying. Might I add he was also campaigning for the CLP. Anyone who signs a petition should be able to do so without fear of retribution. I have never known before of such an action as this happening, and I hope that such an action never occurs again. As elected members, we are privileged and obliged to represent all people of the Territory. I still consider it an abuse of his position in this parliament to have misused the petition in this way, and I call on him to remedy this action and apologise to all those people affected.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, throughout the Territory there are many people who contribute immensely in their own way. Many of these people work in the background and are not well known in the broader Territory community. Their efforts and commitment to their chosen profession are of immense importance to the Barkly. These people I describe as the unsung heroes. Tonight, I would like to pay tribute to some of these people, as I will in respect of other people who reside in the Barkly, during the course of the next few years.
Jenny Purdie, the present Manager of the Department of Primary Industries, came to the Territory in the late 1960s and worked with the Commonwealth Public Service in Alice Springs and Darwin. Jenny was the first female engaged to work in this field. At that time, all other females were confined to administrative duties. Jenny then transferred to the veterinary unit of the same department and became the first female stock inspector in the Northern Territory. During this period, Jenny studied to become a meat inspector and reviewed the Territory’s meat industry legislation, which was out of date. Jenny then went on to train local meat inspectors when the Commonwealth pulled out their meat inspectors. This training was undertaken by correspondence and reduced from nine years to two. Of the 11 people who undertook training, two were women.
Recently, Jenny has been involved as chairperson of a subcommittee to establish large-scale horticultural ventures in the region, as part of the Barkly Blueprint. Jenny believes that we need to attract established players from interstate who have the capacity to enter into joint arrangements for the indigenous landholders and pastoralists, in respect of land tenure, and have expertise in marketing and the courage to adapt to local conditions concentrating on such products as table grapes, citrus, figs, asparagus, vegetables and stone fruits. Tennant Creek and its surrounds has good soils and ample water supplies, but what is needed is a commitment by government, including ours, to facilitate and drive the horticultural industry between Ti Tree and Katherine. Let us be bold and innovative and allow people like Jenny Purdie, and many other people who reside in the Barkly, their place in developing long-term sustainable industries in the interest of all people in the Territory.
The other person I would like to refer to tonight is Rosemary Plummer. Rosemary is a Warumungu woman, a traditional owner. She was born at a place called Phillip Creek Station about 45 km to the north of Tennant Creek. In 1956, along with other members of her family, Rosemary had to leave and moved into Tennant Creek. Rosemary, at that time, became carer for her brothers and sisters. Like so many indigenous women in the Barkly, she has become a pillar of strength for her people and has been at the forefront of the maintenance of language and culture in the region. Rosemary was one of the foundation members of the Papulu Apparri-Kari Language Centre, a very solid and reputable indigenous organisation which has grown in stature and provides real opportunity for people to be strong and believe in themselves by recording their dreaming stories, contemporary history, and keeping their language and culture strong.
Rosemary has just been awarded a scholarship to record indigenous oral history in the Barkly, a very critical and important step in ensuring that her people’s contribution to the Territory is never lost. Perhaps, for too long, indigenous contribution to this place, both social and economic, has been sanitised and glossed over. I must say, sadly, in some instances for political expediency. The importance of the indigenous contribution, past and present, should never be underestimated. We, as members of this place on both sides, should never again squander or fail to pay due respects to the likes of Rosemary and her family. To do so would demean us and compromise our capacity to fulfil our obligations as decent human beings.
Another person I would like to pay tribute tonight is Linda Sharples. Linda runs a Hair On The Move business in Tennant Creek. Linda was originally from Tasmania and moved to Tennant Creek in the early 1980s. Certainly, it took Linda time to adjust. She has done so with gusto and commitment to the community. The honourable thing about Linda is that she treats all people as equals, and she has an abiding ability to get on with life, no matter what the difficulties. But more importantly, Linda gets things done. This attribute is so precious in the bush. Linda’s motto is: yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift.
In respect of Linda Sharples, I would like to read from a publication entitled Linking Australia which is sponsored by the Department of Transport and Regional Services:
I read that out because it highlights the capacity of women who live in the bush to do things and not ever to give in.
The other person I would like to refer to is a lady, Sharon Kinraid, who arrived from New Zealand about 12 years ago, stopped over in Tennant Creek and has remained ever since, stamping her persistence and commitment to the community in so many ways. Sharon, along with a number of other dedicated and committed women from the Barkly, visited Beijing in 1995 and came back determined to establish a domestic violence counselling service in Tennant Creek - a service so vitally essential in small towns where excessive alcohol and drug abuse is endemic and, unfortunately, considered by many as part of the community landscape and, in more cases than not, ignored and put in the too hard basket. I will return to this vexed issue a little later on.
Sharon was previously a member of the Chief Minister’s Women’s Advisory Committee where she served with distinction and was never backward in promoting the needs of all women in our region. Sharon is now a councillor on the Tennant Creek Town Council. Again, her vision and drive is evident by developing partnerships for the Yapakurlangu Regional Council and Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation in respect of optimising benefits for all. I would also like to applaud all members of the council for their initiative and, I must say, how things have changed over the years in Tennant Creek. Sharon is presently employed by BRAADAG in Tennant Creek, a very innovative and creative alcohol program which is accessed by people from Alice Springs and Darwin. She, along with Yvan Magnery, her boss, is lobbying for increased funds for their program. As an example, BRAADAG in Tennant Creek operates a 19-bed program on approximately $151 000. Katherine operates the same number of beds on approximately $375 000 per annum, a clear anomaly which I hope the minister for health can address, and I am confident that she will do so.
Previously, I mentioned domestic violence and its impact upon small communities and its resultant impact upon the Territory. Pick up the newspaper any day and you will read of incidents relative to women being bashed. Visit the courts and hear first hand some of the paltry excuses and/or defences espoused by lawyers on behalf of their clients. Many of these perpetrators hide behind the white fella’s law and its legal system, and use grog as a means to justify their attacks on their partners. Condoning such actions, I believe, demeans us as a decent and humane society. It is incumbent upon all of us, on both sides of the House, to bite the bullet and apply a whole-of-government approach to this cancerous blight on the Territory. Accordingly, I would urge the respective ministers to appoint a task force of people with vision, compassion and commitment to address this very serious issue, and then act upon its recommendations without fear or favour. I believe that we should do it because we owe it to people like Sharon Kinraid.
In conclusion, allow me to pay tribute to Bill Baird, the community liaison officer retained by McArthur River Mine in Borroloola. In April this year, Paul Toohey wrote an article, which appeared in The Australian, concerning a young lady by the name of Cecilia Mogarty. Cecilia is 17 years of age and suffers from a hearing deficiency, rendering her almost deaf, which clearly makes it difficult for her to undertake mainstream education in a place like Borroloola, notwithstanding the fact that there is no access to teachers in Borroloola with sign language skills. Bill Baird, and other dedicated teachers, were determined to allow Cecilia the opportunity to undertake further studies in Darwin. Cecilia now attends Darwin High School and boards at St John’s College. Cecilia has a hearing aid, organised by Australian Hearing, in conjunction with Danila Dilba Medical Service. The latest report that I have is that Cecilia is doing exceptionally well.
Bill Baird, backed by his employer, McArthur River Mine, performed a pivotal role in coordinating and negotiating Cecilia’s placement in Darwin, supported by a whole host of organisations and agencies, both government and non-government. Bill continues to support Cecilia as a contact between the family and the agencies in respect to Cecilia’s schooling, and regularly attends progress report meetings in Darwin. Cecilia is only one of many students in the Barkly and, indeed, Borroloola, requiring special needs education. There are a remaining 25 students at Borroloola and Robinson River who require the expertise of a specialist teacher to be appointed and to be based in the region.
Gerry McCarthy, a very dedicated and caring teacher of long standing in the Territory, who is attached to the Aboriginal Hearing Program, estimates that, on any given school day, approximately 80% of the indigenous students suffer from some form of hearing loss - surely a cause for alarm and for immediate action to be implemented. Bill and Gerry, who are committed and compassionate, deserve the appointment of a specialist teacher in Borroloola and I certainly hope that it occurs. I also trust that our government will see fit to assess just how many other students in the bush suffer from these life inhibiting disabilities.
I have addressed these issues tonight because they are just a small example of dedicated people who are doing amazing and inspirational things. It is a testament to them, as people of the Territory, unselfish and striving to make their place, and the Territory, a better place to live. I applaud them.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, there have been a number of opportunities to go back to a lot of my community since our October sittings. I think one of the joys of being elected to a position like this is the personal contact, not only with communities, but also with individuals on the ground in those communities, and I enjoy that most. I have had the opportunity of going back to personally thank everyone, both supporters and everyone in the community.
As we all know, most of our communities are now in preparation for the onset of the wet season, and a lot of these communities and their outstations start becoming inaccessible, both by road and airstrips. Over the next couple of days, I will use this time to highlight the many activities and events, and also people who make a difference in those communities in the Arafura electorate. But, certainly, I want to take this time to look at some of the economic and other activities happening there, and what has happened over the last three months since I have been elected to represent the needs and aspirations of all my constituents.
As I have said before, the Arafura electorate is both complex and diverse. My constituents in this vast electorate are a strong, proud and diverse people, and I will dedicate, tonight, my first adjournment which I have done since this sittings started, to the Tiwi Islands, its people - I am proud to say, my people - and the many great developments happening on the islands.
The first highlight for a lot of the Tiwis has been the recent AFI awards, which saw a young Tiwi man, Sebastian Pulakui, receive his award for best outstanding young actor. This award goes beyond his own achievement, it is one that all Tiwis feel proud of. There are many young men and women out in those communities who are born actors, sportsmen and women who wait to be discovered, just like young Sebastian. All too often, unless it is in direct reference to Australian football - and I am not knocking football, or men - but there is very little, if no mention of success. I am pleased to know that another Tiwi Islander, and a female, Leonie Carpenter, recently became a soccerette in the Australian Women’s Soccer side.
A member: Not to be confused with a cigarette?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: No, soccerette. Please, I am trying to be serious. I will describe very briefly some of the activities happening on the Tiwi Islands, especially in relation to education, training and employment, which is quite a big thing, as well as health.
Education is one of the issues that I feel strongly about. There are currently 47 apprentices employed on the Tiwi Islands. There have been 12 completions over the past three months: six level 3, civil construction - that’s in plant; three level 2, remote area local government; and three level 2, general construction. Apprentices are employed in the fields of baking, general construction, civil construction, remote area local government, essential service operations, office skills, forestry, auto mechanics, and school assistance. Seventeen new apprenticeships are to be signed up in the next four weeks in child care, aged care, essential service operations and fishing.
Training is continuing for the aquaculture fish farming project at Port Hurd. Five new apprentices will be signed up in the fishing operations training program. Also 10 VET - that is, vocational education training - school students are participating in this training, preparing them for future positions on the project. Currently, there are approximately 230 000 barramundi in the sea cages with the first harvest due in March 2002. I am lucky that I am actually being privileged to be flying out on 13 December to have a look at some of the harvesting and what they are doing. Fish are harvested at 3 kg, so approximately 650 tonnes is expected to be harvested. About 2.3 tonnes of 1.2 kg fish will go into Sydney and Melbourne markets this week from Skretting Australia - who has gone into joint venture with the Tiwi people - their first harvest. The fish is not frozen and when held at 4 will have a shelf life of 28 days. I have been told that this is the big advantage of fish out of tropical waters, coming from an ocean at 28. Apparently it extends the shelf life of fish down south. They will usually only keep for four to five days.
The Tiwi Island Training Education Board has agreements with various registered training organisations to provide training. They are: Regency Institute of TAFE; the Central Australian College; Industry Services Training; Seafood Maritime Industries Training; and Bachelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.
The training board has secured ANTA funding of about $350 000 to build a training centre at Nguiu on Bathurst Island and building will commence as soon as the funds are released. The Tiwis held their first graduation ceremony on the 20 June this year. There were 104 graduates on the day, who either completed or partially completed their courses. All the graduates wore gowns designed and printed by the Tiwi. Approximately 250 guests attended the ceremony.
The training board has been funded through the ECEF to conduct a VET schools program on the island for the next 18 months. There are currently 42 students doing VET in School subjects, participating in work placements. Students are studying in areas where they identified pathways for future jobs. It gets away from this, where the most trained people and training does not equate to employment. Hopefully, that will be different with what they are experimenting with on the island. It is hoped that this cohort of students will enter directly into the workforce, and not via CDEP.
The training centre at Pirlangimpi on Melville Island is nearing completion. A welding program commenced on the 28 May this year, and students made up their own work benches and other training aides. They also developed welding skills in aluminium and repaired some boats in the community. The course was completed on 7 September with 6 graduates. A variety of other training continues, including first aid, fire fighting, chainsaw operations, arts and craft, computing, night patrol, health work, driver instruction, four-wheel driving and recovery etc. All training integrates something that is most fundamental to all training, and that is with literacy and numeracy. The vast majority of training is now being conducted on the island in the communities.
A new child-care centre has been built at Nguiu and six Tiwi ladies have commenced training in an apprenticeship in children’s services. Also, a new aged-care centre is being built at Nguiu and five Tiwi ladies have commenced training in an apprenticeship in aged-care studies. A new hospital valued at $2m is due to commence construction at Nguiu in the near future and, when complete, it is hoped that apprenticeships will be offered to Tiwi people in health care.
The forestry project suffered a set-back in August when the parent company, Australian Plantation Timbers, went into voluntary administration. Changes to the taxation laws affected their cash flow and the project was shut down for four weeks. Operations have commenced again. However, the scope of the project has been scaled back considerably. It is expected that the project will pick up again in 2002. Also, good news is that stage one of the new fishing and hunting lodge valued at approximately $10m is due to commence. The money for that has come out of Tiwi revenue and what the land council have raised themselves.
That is basically most of what has happened with the Tiwi Islands. What I would like to put on record, as well as my fellow member for Barkly, as a real issue - and it is hoped that we can work with, and we know that our new minister for health will deal with - the issue of youth suicide, which is something that is constantly swept under the carpet. People hope that it will go away, although it won’t and it is a big issue in some of the communities in the Arafura electorate. It is something that I will be taking up with the health minister because we should no longer push this issue aside. This problem – as the member for Barkly had highlighted with the domestic violence - youth suicide and the issue with our youth, needs to be seriously addressed by both sides of government.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight to pay tribute to the cultural awareness activities that have been undertaken by schools in the electorate of Karama, and bless them. Karama School, which includes primary and preschool-aged children, held a culture day recently on 8 November. The Karama School’s Aboriginal Student’s Support and Parent Awareness Committee (ASSPA) hosted and organised this culture day. The culture day theme, Working Together in Education, was designed specifically to ensure the children could personally experience Aboriginal cultural traditions through practical workshops and activities.
I had the honour of participating in the official opening school assembly along with Larrakia Nation coordinator Calvin Costello, and ATSIC Commissioner Kim Hill. The school’s assembly area was adorned in colourful posters created by the Karama students. It was a wonderful gathering of young Territorians to learn about, and rejoice in, the indigenous culture. After the official opening the school assembly moved over to create a Sea of Flags display on the lawns at the front of the school, and over the duration of the day, participated in cultural activities. These activities included music, dancing, story telling, looking at cultural videos, painting, weaving, design making, friendship bands, role model displays and campfire cooking. There were many different types of food, cooked by indigenous parents at the school for all to enjoy. By far and away, the favourite dishes were crab, fish and goose.
One of the highlights of the day occurred when the preschoolers came over to participate in the cooking, weaving, music and dance workshops. A spur-of-the-moment activity occurred when countrymen, who happened to be walking past the school, decided to come over and see what was happening. They thought it was a lovely indigenous celebration so they joined in the fun and put on an impromptu dance for the children, which all of the staff and the children, I am told, thoroughly enjoyed.
Everyone involved in the culture day put on a fantastic effort. Thanks must be extended to the Principal, Bob Hale, his very able assistant Sherree Ah Sam, who heads up the ASSPA committee, and the hard-working and dedicated members of the ASSPA committee who went to a lot of effort to both organise and run the culture day activities. Importantly, my congratulations also go to the children of the school who enthusiastically participated in the day’s events and, in doing so, gained an enhanced awareness of the wonderful aspects of indigenous culture, at the same time increasing their educational skills, knowledge and experiences.
I have the pleasure of representing the Territory’s most culturally diverse electorate. Indeed, celebrations at Manunda Terrace Primary School on 31 August, reflect our community’s enjoyment of diversity. Manunda Terrace School held an international market day, in which stalls were set up around the school courtyard like a mini-Mindil Beach Markets. The costumes, luncheon, elective program and wonderful entertainers all made for a fantastic day. With 60 guests in attendance, the fashion parade was held at school assembly and fashions were modelled by students, teachers, and parents, and it set the tone for a very colourful day. These fashions included traditional costumes from Japan, India and Indonesia to name just a few, and they provided a beautiful and colourful display. Workshops and activities throughout the day included learning to milk the Dutch cow, west African drumming from Gambia, origami, mask making, face painting, batik painting, Chinese handicrafts, karate, belly dancing, Scottish dancing, and indigenous visitors who spoke about their lives and their culture.
The school’s multicultural resource centre permanently exhibits a wonderful range of interesting cultural items that, over the years, have been donated to the school by students, parents, schools staff and community members. Manunda Terrace School is fortunate to have a diverse multicultural student population. Its Asia in Schools program, with an indigenous language and culture program, has been part of the school’s curriculum for the last eight years. Although all students participate, a specialist teacher maintains a comprehensive study program for Year 6 and Year 7 students. Congratulations are extended to the Principal, staff, the school community and the students for maintaining and encouraging participation in a diverse education program that promotes learning, friendship and harmony.
Further, the third public primary school in the electorate of Karama has also had cause to celebrate its roots. This time, however, it was a birthday party. Indeed, Malak School celebrated its 20th birthday last month on 26 October The Malak School’s 20th birthday celebration was a reunion attended by past and present students, teachers and parents. The celebrations provided a wonderful evening for guests to relax and enjoy a fun-filled time while catching up with old friends and acquaintances. Several hundred people braved Darwin’s notorious build-up weather on a hot and steamy night, but quickly forgot their discomfort once activities got underway with food stalls and a barbecue, face painting by Chantelle the Fairy, balloon modelling, art and craft exhibitions, senior school choir, games and activities, special decorations and a disco ’80s theme.
Mary de Loryn put together an historical photographic display from old photo albums which created much interest. Mary also took photographs on the night for future archiving and birthday celebrations. Some of the highlights of the night included the senior school choir which was in fabulous form and the ’80s disco where young and old danced the night away. A very big birthday cake was demolished by one and all and, just for fun, one of the students jumped out of a makeshift cake to the delight of all in attendance. My thanks for this wonderful celebration are extended to everyone who came along to join the festivities. I extend special thanks to the Malak Schools senior students who assisted in many ways, and to the organisers of the fundraising committee who worked hard to make the event the success that it was.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Deputy Speaker, this year saw the start of the new junior football season in the northern suburbs for children under the age of 12. Commencing in early September on Saturday afternoons, more than 300 registered players, from all the electorates in the Darwin northern suburbs, registered to be part of a new parent-run football season incorporating six clubs in clusters of two to three schools. Of these clubs in the suburbs that there were, there was the Blues in Nakara and Alawa; there were the Crows over in Wanguri; the Eagles in Leanyer; the Power in Karama; the Dockers in Jingili, Moil and Wagaman; and the Swans, my side, in Wulagi, Anula and Malak.
Over 12 weeks, up to 30 parents organised and facilitated nine games an afternoon, including fundraising raffles and a canteen serving hot food, drinks and ice cups. Without the help of the junior club coaches taking the time to come and accredit a level 1 coach, and running weekly training, the standard of football played by the children would have been far lower. We should give thanks to the committee and coaches of the Casuarina Junior Football League. I am fortunate enough to be patron of the league. We have great people like Paul Wyatt who is the president, and he has a lot to do with the Swans; Jenny Elliott, who is Treasurer and a good job she is doing - but she is with the Eagles; Gavin Johns who took his Blues to a premiership win in the Under 10s last Saturday; Gareth Lewis with the Eagles; Jeff Clarke with the Dockers; Shane Dignan with the Eagles; Leslie Collins with Power; Mark Kirby does a great job with the Swans, and Peter Clarke also; Leigh Bujunowski with Under 8s at Auskick and Blues; and Paul Kirby with the Under 7s; and the man who coaches my young fellow, Glen Stanford, who does the Under 6 Auskick and Dockers.
The league cannot thrive and get along without the support of its sponsors. Without the support of the sponsors, it would not have been staged as effectively. Sponsorship plays an important part in all Territory fields of sporting endeavour, and it is the sponsors who give our prizes for raffles and carnivals. They discount food and drinks and, in the case of the Casuarina Junior Football League, this all combined to leave the league strong and ready for the 2002 season. Thanks does need to go to the Darwin Frontier Hotel and to Springfield Butchers who not only sponsor, quite well, the sausages and the steak and everything at the games on the Saturday, but they also lend a hand with the normal Neighbourhood Watch - they are a very community-minded business. There is Casuarina Club; Infocus NT; Halkitos Roofing is right behind us; NT Fasteners; General Roofing Products; Insulco; Casuarina Square, a good corporate citizen; the Apex Club of Litchfield; Wastemaster; and Territory Trophies and Engraving. A special thanks must also go to Joel Kelly from the AFL Football Development Foundation, for his efforts in helping the parents establish the Casuarina Junior Football League.
Next year, we are set to see the growth of junior football in the NT, as all the area leagues grow and establish themselves as a viable form of junior sport. The parents have indicated, from conversations with new parents, that they believe that participation rates of players and parents will increase in 2002. We at the CJFL believe this is a good thing, and we look forward to our players being involved in junior community sport. Remember - kids in sport don’t do court!
I would also like to bring to the attention of the House a significant event in the lives of a number of our youth who have graduated from, what I believe to be, one of the finest secondary schools in the Territory. As the local member for Sanderson, it was wonderful to cherish a significant milestone with the students, parents, school counsellors and teachers of Sanderson High School at their recent Year 12 graduation. Year 12 is such an important schooling year and it is important to recognise the support and work of parents, teachers, family members and peers in helping our students throughout the year. Recognition needs also to be given to all those teachers at Sanderson High School who, for years before, prepared the way for this momentous occasion.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the whole school community which is ably led by the Principal, Mrs Denise Wilkowski, and the school council chairperson, Mr Geoff Anstess. Of course, I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of our Year 12 students for the past year’s achievements. I have with me today a list of students of the class of 2001, and the teachers who put so much of their heart and soul into assisting and guiding them during what is, by any measure, both a stressful and rewarding year. I seek leave to incorporate their names in the Hansard.
Leave granted.
Stage 2 Students:
Marife Joy Abril Li Fang
John Anstess JordanLoraine
Tamarra Ashurst Jacqueline McCann
Ryan Ayers Luke McLeod
Richard Baldock Sean Meakin
Kylie Bent Daniel Merrifield
Jessica Black Jennifer-Lee Michels
Natalie Butler Kalotina Mpilias
Daniel Culgan Mark Nicholls
Nathan De Leeuw Danee O’Connor
Benjamin Figg Romel O’Dea
Patricia Galang Dan Dan Shen
Li Gao Karlheins Sohl
Adam Harvey David Stoner
Ay Hassarungsri Katrina Stubbs
Fallon Hintz Kristy Thompson
Cathy Holmes April Tomlin
Kylie Hunter Mandy Tracey
Ryan Ilett Jessica Tucker
Poppy Kantros Matthew Williams
Steven Kunoth Patrick (Xuan) Xie
Jason (Tsy-Chun) Lau Debbie (Xu) Zhang
Stage 2 Teachers:
Kerry Aitken Barry Jonsberg
Carole Belsham Tom McCall
Jon Brewer Val Matthews
Paul Davis Bronwyn Miller
Cheryl Easterbrook Mary Nadarajah
Diana Glover Desley Pidgeon
Jade Hayes Peter Ramsay
Karen Hill Steve Smith
Trevor Hunt Nancy Winchester
Anita Jonsberg
Mr KIELY: There are a number of students who, by their effort, were signalled out for special recognition and I would to mention these people individually. I am proud of their efforts; I believe their parents, teachers and friends of them; and they have every right to be quite proud of themselves.
Most outstanding student of the year was May Leung. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stage 2 achievement award went to John Anstess. Sanderson High School Stage 2 Service Award went to Cathy Holmes. The Northern Territory University Award for outstanding leadership was awarded to Marife Joy Abril and Ay Hassarungsri. Board of Studies award for top overall achiever, Jinzhi Wang. Board of Studies Award for top Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achiever, John Anstess. Accounting award, Cathy Holmes. The Evanne Blyton Memorial Prize for Biology, Danny O’Conner. Caltex Best All-rounder Award, Sean Meakin.
Also within this class of 2001, were people who stood out for putting their personal best in. These are exceptional young people who excelled in their own personal way. These people were Marife Joy Abril, John Anstess, Benjamin Figg, Patricia Galang, Ay Hassrungsri, Fallon Hintz, Cathy Holmes, Eileen Jia, Poppy Kantros, May Leung, Sean Meakin, Daniel Merrifield, Kalotina Mpilias, Danee O’Connor, Jinzhi Wang and Xu Zhang.
In order for us to build a smarter Territory, we need to grow our expertise. I am confident that Sanderson High School is a fertile place for the future of our Territory. I congratulate both students and teachers at Sanderson High School. I wish them all good luck in the coming years.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the electorate of Millner. I am reliably informed that the electorate of Millner is the second largest in terms of registered voters in the Northern Territory. The electorate covers the suburbs of Millner, Coconut Grove, Ludmilla and the RAAF Base. It also includes the three Aboriginal communities of Kulaluk, Minmirama Park and the Bagot Community. Within the boundaries of the Millner electorate are two important schools of learning: Millner and Ludmilla Primary Schools. St Paul’s Primary, though not within the boundaries, is within the catchment area, which involves parents who live in Millner and send their children to St Paul’s to take advantage of their particular educational sphere.
Why I comment on these three great institutions of learning is best described as a wish to thank and encourage their efforts and their pursuit of the advancement of education. I would like to comment on their ability to recognise the benefit of sport in the teaching of education. I am proud to say that the first Labor government, under Clare Martin, intends to continue and nurture and encourage the ongoing relationship between education and sport in the Northern Territory, Darwin and Millner areas.
One example of the benefits of sport in education is best summarised in a comment from the member for Sanderson: ‘If you play sport, you stay out of court’. I am a great believer in the ancient Chinese tradition of Yin and Yang - body and mind. For the benefit of a healthy mind and body, children will be better prepared to deal with obstacles that they face on their journey of life.
The people I now wish to identify are people who should properly receive credit which is long overdue. I will begin with the Millner Primary School. Under the stewardship of the current Principal, Ron Argoon and his competent administration and teaching staff, the school has been most successful in promoting the benefits of education through sport. Other persons who need specific mention include a famous Millner and football family, the Grant family, in particular Dominic, Nathan and Dion Grant. It also includes Auntie Ruth Grant, who has been a major part of the lives of many young local residents in the Millner area. They have been at the forefront of improvements of attendance through promotion of sports and, therefore, creating real improvements in education.
Finally, Miss Britton. I often wonder if she is a relation of the current Carlton coach Wayne Britton, but I am informed that she isn’t. Miss Britton is the current Millner Primary football coach. The contributions of these personalities have created a positive feeling between parents and children who attend the school, that Millner Primary is going places. This group of people have achieved better attendance rates, improved education and learning and, most importantly, healthy and intelligent children. The Millner school is recognised as the equal top rated school in the Darwin area, in relation to primary schools in football. As Mr Ron Argoon summarised: ‘Millner school was nearly built on football’.
The next school I would like to recognise is the Ludmilla Primary School, which has a proud tradition of football excellence. The Ludmilla school has been proactive in creating a positive image within the community - against a number of obstacles - as a school going forward. With the support of their Principal, Helen Southen and staff, Ludmilla is giving children an opportunity to succeed. Other persons on their staff who have contributed to this achievement includes Ingrid Clarke - mother of the current AFL player Ezra Bray who is involved with the Geelong Football Club - and Donna Minchin, both coaches, water girls, team managers, and general all round fundraisers. These people – from the contributions they have made as human beings - can be best summarised as people who care about their students and the futures of those students.
Also included in this group are two young men I have had quite a lot to do with over the last four or five years, in assisting them with football and life in general, and making sure that they keep focussed in their endeavours as human beings. The official term escapes me at the moment, but they are basically sport and recreation officers at the Ludmilla school, and they are young Damien Zammit and Ben Ah Mat who provide a very important service to the families within the Ludmilla-RAAF base area, very similar to what the Grant boys are doing in Millner. Both these young men come from a great football and sporting family, in particular the Ah Mat clan, who have provided great sporting enjoyment at all levels for all Territorians in many different sports. Damien Zammit states that sport and education are a good mix together; they teach kids to work together and respect each other. Ludmilla Primary School is currently rated as one of the top four schools in the northern suburbs. I was privileged to attend a knock-out carnival in which Ludmilla ended up finishing third in the contest and Millner had a draw in the grand final.
These people have provided a service to the wider community through their efforts to protect and safeguard future Territorians. I would like to inform both schools that I will provide assistance to them in their pursuit of sports in education. In the short time I have been involved with both schools, I can only reiterate that, in my eyes, these people have provided an invaluable service to the community and remain unheralded heroes. I would like to thank this group of people for their efforts, and wish them a very merry festive season and a happy new year.
I am not only interested in football as a vehicle to promote education, but also all sports, whether it is cricket, tennis, softball, netball - any sport that any person can think of. A model that I would like to promote as a guide, not as a blueprint but, certainly, as a guide that we can look at, is the current US college program system, which covers a wide range of sports and which provides student athletes an opportunity to obtain a university or college degree while also participating in high level competition. As with many programs at elite levels in the Northern Territory at the moment - as I have been heavily involved with them - many of the players will not get the opportunity to actually go on and become professional athletes. What they do have is an opportunity to gain an education in a sporting field and, hopefully, they can take that back to their communities and promote sport within their communities.
I would also like to see sport in Australia and, in particular, in the Northern Territory, develop a concept where you do not have to go and become a sporting athlete and be a professional to make a living but, as in the US, you can become an engineer; you can become a doctor, etc. So, it is my dream that students are able to access a college or a university education while competing at highly competitive competition level. It is my dream to promote sports education in universities around Australia. I was lucky, during my university studies, to have the opportunity to represent the University of Western Australia and the Northern Territory University, in both basketball and football at the University Games and other university competitions. That gave me a great opportunity to meet diverse groups of people and be accepted as a person who studied and played sport, and not generally classified as any other type of human being. The people I have spoken about have assisted in promoting this dream and, most importantly, are assisting younger people in obtaining academic and sporting success.
Going back to that Chinese principle about Yin and Yang and being healthy of body and mind, I think it is an underestimated quality in society at the moment. I think the danger is in people placing too much in one or the other - either too much effort into sport or too much effort into academic pursuits. I think that there needs to be a balance between both. Just finishing on that, one of my great sporting heroes was once asked: ‘Muhammad Ali, how do you become great?’ His response was: ‘Don’t look down on those who look up to you’. So, I say to all of those people who are achieving in high levels of sports, do not look down on those people who helped you get there.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I table the Administrative Arrangements Order which was published in the Northern Territory Gazette dated 13 November 2001.
WARRANT
Deputy Chairmen of Committees
Deputy Chairmen of Committees
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, pursuant to the provision of Standing Order 12, I lay on the Table my warrant nominating the members to be Deputy Chairmen of Committees.
PETITION
Drug Addiction and Funding for
Rehabilitation Services
Drug Addiction and Funding for
Rehabilitation Services
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition not conforming with standing orders from 554 petitioners relating to drug addiction. I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the honourable the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory.
We the undersigned respectfully request that the Assembly take action on the following:
1. treat addiction as a medical condition;
Northern Territory, eg, naltrexone, buprenorphine trials, methadone withdrawals
over an extended time, depending on clients needs, approximately one year;
without prejudice;
support for addicted mothers;
a secure drug free environment to stay while they re-establish themselves in the community;
12. this is Jessie’s wish.
- And your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
RESPONSE TO PETITION
Container Deposit Legislation
Container Deposit Legislation
Mr CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100(a), I inform honourable members that a response to petition No 1 has been received and circulated to honourable members. The text of the response will be included in the Parliamentary Record.
Petition No 1
Container Deposit Legislation
Date petition presented: 17 October 2001
Presented by: Mr Reed
- Referred to: Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment
- Dated response presented: 27 November 2001
Response:
- I congratulate the Katherine Landcare Group Inc for becoming involved in the community consultation process
related to the examination of potential container deposit schemes for the Northern Territory.
this matter before considering the implementation of such a scheme.
MOTION
Ministerial Reports – Amendment to
Sessional Order
Ministerial Reports – Amendment to
Sessional Order
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move the sessional order relating to ministerial reports passed on 16 October 2001 be amended to read as follows:
1. On each sitting day after Notices, ministers may make reports on matters relating to the government of the
Northern Territory and relating to policy, decisions or actions, proposed decisions, actions or matters of
public interest.
member may speak, except that the minister who made the statement may reply to the matters raised. The
minister’s reply shall not exceed one minute.
question that ministerial reports be noted, which question shall be put without further debate or amendment.
It is straight forward, it is self-explanatory. I think it replicates, in essence, the form of a major ministerial statement. It time frames it very tightly so it is, in fact, a mini-ministerial statement giving the opposition the right to respond to the issue raised, albeit a very brief right of reply, which they may choose to exercise or not depending on the issue and what was said. I do think it brings us closer to debate in the House, albeit in that mini and fairly highly restricted form. I would urge support of the motion.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the government for showing some consideration to the need for the opposition to participate in response to the statements that are made during this first period of the parliamentary day.
Could I also thank you, Madam Speaker, for your efforts in this regard, in ensuring that these changes were made. I would ask the question of the Leader of Government Business that when it comes to ministerial statements - both the short statements and the longer statements that occur later in the day - the procedure to date is that the opposition is only being given one e-mail copy which arrives in my office about 6 o’clock at night. It has always been the process in the past that hard copies were distributed to all the members of the opposition, to their individual offices, or in bulk to the Leader of the Opposition’s office. I would ask the Leader of Government Business if he could ensure that that occurs. I also ask, in respect of these short ministerial statements, as they are of five minutes - for the opposition to respond effectively within two minutes, that a similar procedure should apply whereby the opposition is afforded hard copies of those statements prior to the parliamentary day.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Picking up a couple of points from the Leader of the Opposition, I appreciate that in most cases the government did provide a hard copy of a ministerial statement to be delivered the next day, but that was in the context of a ministerial statement coming right on the top of Question Time at 11 o’clock.
Ministerial statements, under our procedures in the House, are now the last item of Government Business following process of everything else that is on the Notice Paper, including legislation. It is very clearly our intent that that is the major business of this parliament, so it is probably more likely four or five in the afternoon before a minister would be delivering a ministerial statement. Notwithstanding that, we will always endeavour to get a hard copy across to the opposition at the earliest opportunity.
In relation to the ministerial statements, given that they are brief, our intent is that they be newsworthy, they be contemporary. It could be that it is something that has just happened. We want to trial it this way; we are prepared to be innovative and to change the way we do things in the House, to meet the standing orders and procedures of the House and quality of debate. Again, if we come back in February and it has not worked, I am prepared to look at it again and talk with the opposition on any shortcoming that they see.
Madam SPEAKER: Members, I am pleased that there has been agreement reached regarding ministerial reports and, yes, I would encourage the government to distribute copies of ministerial statements not just to the opposition, but to the backbenchers as soon possible, so that people can prepare their replies in advance.
Motion agreed to.
TABLED PAPER
Auditor-General’s Analysis of the 2000-01 Treasurer’s Annual Financial Statement
Auditor-General’s Analysis of the 2000-01 Treasurer’s Annual Financial Statement
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Auditor-General’s report to the Legislative Assembly of the Analysis of the 2000-01 Treasurer’s Annual Financial Statement.
MOTION
Print Report – Auditor-General’s
Analysis of the 2000-01 Treasurer’s
Annual Financial Statement
Print Report – Auditor-General’s
Analysis of the 2000-01 Treasurer’s
Annual Financial Statement
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Report - Auditor-General’s
Analysis of the 2000-01 Treasurer’s
Annual Financial Statement
Note Report - Auditor-General’s
Analysis of the 2000-01 Treasurer’s
Annual Financial Statement
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Motion agreed to.
MINISTERIAL REPORTS
Economic Development Summit
Economic Development Summit
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the Economic Development Summit held in this Assembly from 4 to 6 November was based on the objective of building a better Territory for ourselves and our children. We wanted to find answers to our challenges through partnerships with a broadly representative group of Territorians. This inclusive approach will be a hallmark of my government.
The summit was not just about the forum in this Assembly, though. Regional participation included more than 300 Territorians attending the five community forums held across the Territory a week before the summit itself, broadening the government/community partnership through increased participation.
The summit set out to:
bring together industry, business and community representatives to obtain views and help set
strategies for the economic development of the Territory;
generate issues that will influence the work of the Territory Business Round Table and the Office
of Territory Development, in particular, and all government agencies;
indigenous organisations, to work together for the Territory’s future prosperity; and
to build business and community confidence in the future development of the Territory by being part of
defining that future.
The summit was important in the framing of the mini-budget. I am pleased to report to the Assembly the success of the summit in meeting its objectives, as outlined in the final communiqu. It has been widely praised. I record before this Assembly my government’s commitment to building on this successful outcome.
I was particularly pleased to see the dialogue between indigenous and non-indigenous Territorians promoting, as it did, a new understanding of each other’s perspectives. I saw a commitment to work together to build new economic opportunities for the Territory, not the least of which is commitment to indigenous economic development.
I now want to report to the Assembly the progress to date since the summit. The government has:
committed to a partnership approach for the economic development strategy;
with a full-time coordinator to be employed;
consultations underway to ensure development is in line with business and community views;
office rental needs in a way that will provide certainty to developers and building owners;
skills requirements and the delivery of training services, the intellectual infrastructure to complement
ports, railways and gas manufacturing provinces;
restructuring of the Northern Territory Public Service leading to this process; and
and Resource Development and the Gas Task Force involving business and community representatives,
to review the atest position on Timor Sea gas and discuss actions that need to be taken to overcome
current difficulties in the onshore exploitation of the resource.
I would like to mention in this report some key aspects of our economic future, important to our job creation strategy, that is the prime reason for pursuing economic development:
the development of a gas manufacturing province in the Top End, including benefits for local service
and supply industries;
Precinct in the Centre, tropical knowledge and energy research and development;
around the new infrastructure of the railway and the East Arm Port; and
In conclusion, I want to thank you, Madam Speaker, for allowing the Assembly and its facilities to be used for the summit. I commend the staff of the Legislative Assembly for their skill and expertise in facilitating the summit led by the Clerk, Ian McNeill. I also want to thank all of those who participated in the summit, including the organising committee capably led by my colleague, the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development; the co-chairs Bob Collins and Neville Walker; the keynote speakers and delegates; the invited observers and staff who made it such a valuable and resounding success.
My government is richer for the generous contributions of all these people, and so is the Territory. We are committed to move quickly to implement the outcomes of the Economic Development Summit.
Mr BURKE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, if there was ever a ministerial statement that I expected to be issued in this Chamber, it would have been with regard to the Economic Development Summit. I would have thought that would have been a full ministerial statement, rather than a ministerial report of five minutes. I guess one could be cynical and say if that is all the Economic Development Summit rated in your government’s opinion, so be it.
I will applaud the government for bringing together a wide range of Territorians to discuss very important issues that affect all of us in the Northern Territory, particularly how we are going to provide some kick-start to this economy, to respond to the business needs that are out there. It was a summit that I was quite happy to be involved in. It was pleasing to move around those Territorians who were involved and to hear the issues that they raised which, as I said, in terms of the communiqu and the priority issues that came out of the summit, they would be no different from something that a CLP government would push forward with, and push forward with vigorously.
The issue that I was surprised dropped straight off the radar screen right at the outset of the summit was the issue of native title. It was a unique opportunity to deal with issues of native title, particularly as it was clear in the summit that the hold-up of availability of land right throughout the Northern Territory is of great concern to Territorians generally. There was, sadly, only lip service paid to that issue.
In terms of the priorities that came out of the summit from the communiqu, these are CLP initiatives, and CLP initiatives that we have pushed strongly. It is the now Chief Minister who foisted the redevelopment of Stokes Hill Wharf with some pride and is quite quick now to go down there and point to that as being a very important development for the Northern Territory, something which she quite cynically derided as unnecessary whilst she was in opposition. I am glad to see that the government has seen the light. I am concerned that they are going to spend 12 months of consultation with the community on something that was consulted with quite …
Ms Lawrie: You wouldn’t know what it means.
Mr BURKE: There is a cat in here that keeps squealing whenever I get up to speak. Put it back in its bag.
Madam SPEAKER: The member’s time has expired.
Mr BURKE: I applaud the government in a general sense for the initiatives from that summit.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I welcome the Leader of the Opposition’s positive comments and my very positive comments as well. This is about inclusive government and if we are going to define the difference between this new Labor government and the previous CLP administration, it is all about inclusiveness and partnerships. The summit, very proudly and very effectively, recognised that partnerships are the way of the future, particularly partnerships in indigenous economic development and access to land. They were some of the key issues to emerge.
I am very proud of the outcome of the summit and I genuinely thank all those involved. I thank the opposition for their involvement as well. When it comes down to moving on initiatives that perhaps the CLP talked about in the past, the difference will be that we will do it, rather than simply talk about it.
Mineral Exploration Licences
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Madam Speaker, I wish to update the House on recent events leading to the grant of mineral exploration licences in the southern part of the Territory, and the use by the Northern Territory of the expedited Native Title Act procedure.
Dr Burns: It is an issue.
Mr HENDERSON: It is an issue. Native title affects land which is predominantly pastoral lease land. Pastoral leases comprise approximately 45% of the area of the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory seeks to apply the expedited procedure for the processing of most exploration titles on pastoral leases. This is due to the relatively benign impact, and flexible nature of the exploration activities, and the brief period of time that most explorers spend on the land. The Native Title Act criteria for seeking use of the expedited process is that the activities on the land are: unlikely to interfere with significant sites; have a minimal impact on community activities; or do not cause major disturbance to the land.
The expedited procedure provides a potentially more efficient process for the grant of exploration titles. However, as with all Native Title Act procedures, it is a resource-intensive process and one that we are working cooperatively, in terms of the native title holders and the mining companies, to find a way through this. In utilising the expedited procedure, the Northern Territory has taken measures to accommodate the concerns of native title parties. A set of conditions of grant for exploration licences has been developed and will be applied to exploration licences where there has been no objection to the expedited process, or an objection has been withdrawn. I table a copy of those conditions.
On Monday 5 November, I announced that I approved a grant of 62 exploration licences in the southern half of the Territory. In addition, 50 exploration licences have been granted as a result of indigenous land use agreements having been entered into between mining companies and the Central Land Council. This is good news for the mining industry and the Territory generally. To date, 150 applications for exploration licences, mainly in the Central Land Council region, have progressed without objection. Some of these titles have previously been granted and, as I announced recently, a further 62 are approved for grant.
This is the single largest grant of exploration licences since native title came into effect, covering 40 000 km of land in the Central Australian region. More exploration licences, as they become eligible for grant, will also be granted. The Central Land Council has sought to avoid much of the formal right to negotiate process. However, in choosing not to object to the grant of exploration licences, the Central Land Council has not forfeited the opportunity to seek agreements with exploration licence applicants on behalf of native title holders. Rather, they have strategically used the notification time frames as a period in which they can focus on reaching good neighbour agreements outside of the formal process, and I applaud the CLC on that initiative.
As members can see, this is an approach that works, and it is a win for everyone: the explorers obtain granted exploration titles; the native title parties’ rights are protected, and they will obtain flow on benefits from exploration expenditure; and the Northern Territory as a whole will benefit by the commencement of exploration activity.
I urge all parties to assist in making the Native Title Act expedited procedures work, and where there are genuine differences or concerns about exploration activities, for the parties to actively communicate.
I also table a map that shows the grant of exploration licences and exploration licence applications on all forms of land tenure within the Northern Territory for members’ interest. It is a priority of this government to develop the mineral potential of the Northern Territory and to ensure all Territorians share the benefits. These objectives are consistent with those expressed during the recent Economic Development Summit. The government is committed to obtaining land access on a fair and equitable basis for the benefit of all parties. Again, I urge all parties to cooperate in achieving this goal.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I rise to comment in relation to this, and I begin by congratulating the new government for opening up a few opportunities. The problem that I have here is that I am not entirely clear what opportunities have been opened up, what work will be created for the native title holders of the land, and the like. The problem that we have with the current system is that we have just had a piece of paper tabled on which I am supposed to respond. I have no idea of what has been tabled here, so it is very difficult to respond. I remind the government of the Leader of the Opposition’s comments earlier that it is very difficult to respond to these mini-ministerial statements.
The other thing is that I am very concerned that something of this importance to the Northern Territory, and it is of fundamental importance - it has been one of the real sticking points in the Northern Territory - has been once again covered in a mini-ministerial statement, when it should have been subject to a full ministerial statement.
From the little that I have been able to glean from the comments by the minister, essentially what I understand has happened here is that the minister has described a situation where, effectively, a double veto now exists on the part of the native title holders. What does the minister anticipate will be the consequences of this ability to create a situation where there is a double veto? How will it affect investment? Will it frighten investors away? How many jobs is it going to create for the native title holders themselves?
The other thing is that the minister referred to ILUAs but, once again, he has made no reference to what the terms of those ILUAs are. Territorians have every right to know, both indigenous and non-indigenous, what the terms of those ILUAs are.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for the general terms of the comments, that at least we have moved forward. We have actually moved through the log jam that the previous government imposed, for base political purposes, in terms of getting explorers onto land. We all say in this parliament that we want to generate economic activity, that we want exploration to take place, that we want subsequent mining operations to be developed.
We are not going to develop those mining operations with the investment and the jobs they create unless we get people access to land. The previous government sat for three years on a stockpile of 900 exploration licences. We have moved immediately to work cooperatively with the land councils on behalf of Aboriginal people in partnership with them and the mining companies to start moving through this log jam.
I commend the CLC in terms of adopting this very pragmatic attitude. We are working with the Northern Land Council to achieve the same outcome. It just goes to show that you can have progress - 40 000 km of land now available for exploration activity. It is a win-win situation. There is a lot more work to do and the government will continue to pursue those options.
Gillen House Seniors Village
Mr AH KIT (Housing): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to announce today that the government has made two very important decisions in relation to the supply of housing in Alice Springs. The experience in Darwin with Coconut Gove, Tambling Terrace and the Leanyer Seniors Village shows that, given the choice, many seniors will choose to move to purpose-built seniors accommodation. This, in turn, frees up three-bedroom accommodation.
Appropriate land for such a development is scarce in Alice Springs, but the government has identified that the Gillen House site is appropriate for such a development. It is proposed to build an 18-unit seniors village on the Gillen House site at a cost of approximately $2.3m, which will be completed in September 2002.
Three-bedroom accommodation waiting times in Alice Springs rose quite sharply in the 12 months to September 2001, due to a number of factors. Although three-bedroom accommodation waiting times peaked in September and have dropped slightly since then, it is desirable to take further action to reduce them.
An analysis of public housing in Alice Springs shows that there is not a shortage of three-bedroom housing but, rather, there are a significant number of three-bedroom houses occupied by senior singles and couples whose children have grown up and left home. The development of a purpose-built seniors village in Alice Springs is not only designed to free up three-bedroom homes. It will provide a popular style of accommodation for seniors in our society where there is an enhanced quality of life in the strengthening of community ties and support. Services to the site will need to be reconfigured to accommodate the seniors village development.
The advantages of the Gillen House site for a development of this nature are that it is close to Territory Health Services in the Flynn Street Community Health Centre and close to public transport routes, shops and parklands. Residents in the area will be informed about the proposed developments via notices and a public meeting will be held, if necessary, prior to the application being lodged. Of course, the department will consult with the Council on the Ageing in relation to the design and layout of the development.
What is important to emphasise is that quality of life and the delivery of services is what this government is all about. That is why we have also been concerned to ensure that the disposal of the Cawood Court site is progressed in a manner that will maximise benefits for the community. Unfortunately, there have been a few myths circulating about the government’s decision to sell Cawood Court, and I would like to set the story straight. Cawood Court will be sold by tender to a private developer. This will free up a significant amount of money to be spent on public housing in Alice Springs. The previous government said they would demolish Cawood Court. This would have cost a lot of money. Even with the sale of housing blocks, it would have meant a zero return; no money to be put back into housing in Alice Springs.
Selling the site will raise about $1m which will be reinvested in housing in Alice Springs. Public expressions of interest will be sought to develop the site. One of the assessment criteria will be that the development must significantly enhance the site and improve the general amenity of the area. Transfer of title will be conditional on fulfilment of these criteria.
The sale of Cawood Court will not flood the Alice Springs unit market. The vacancy rate for houses and units in Alice Springs is 1.5%, and unit rents have risen over the last 12 months. Unit sale volumes and prices also rose significantly over the last 12 months, so private redevelopment of the Cawood Court site will make a timely contribution to the level of private housing stock in Alice Springs, and it will provide the government with valuable resources for reinvestment in public housing in Alice Springs.
I know that those who have a genuine concern about the provision of public housing in Alice Springs will welcome these developments. It is a demonstration of this government’s commitment to place a priority on the delivery of services.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, in making some comments, I congratulate the government for thinking about the Gillen House site. I believe it is a good decision and I welcome that. It is also situated across the road from the Flynn Drive Green Street Development and I think that it will fit in very nicely - including the proximity of the site to the community health centre and the shopping centre around the corner.
Let me bring the minister back a little to consider some of the issues he mentioned. I am glad to see that he has considered and alternative site in Alice Springs. Obviously, it is very important to ensure that our senior Territorians in Alice Springs have a seniors village. But the Cawood Court site was also dedicated for that, plus had he demolished Cawood Court he would have released residential land in Alice Springs. By selling Cawood Court to a private developer, all you are doing is converting those units to more units, nothing more. You are maintaining the density of the area; you have not improved the amenity of the Cawood Court complex nor the other surrounding high-density complexes.
Cawood Court needs to be demolished also to allow R1 residential land to be released in town. Without that, you would not further progress the construction industry in Alice Springs. Remember, also, with Cawood Court, if you sold it to a private developer all you are doing is increasing the number of units that are already available to be sold in Alice Springs. They are having trouble selling units in Alice Springs. Sure, the rental properties are down, but not the availability of units to be sold.
I welcome the government’s plan to use the Gillen House site for a development, and I look forward to more development at Cawood Court.
Mr AH KIT (Housing): Madam Speaker, I accept the congratulations of the Shadow Minister for Housing. The information that we received is exactly what I stated. We are not about flooding the market. Obviously, people in the real estate industry will maintain that position so that it suits them. We have done our homework. You are the ex-Minister for Housing. The information came from the Housing Department that our approach and this government’s consideration of how we are going to resolve the Cawood Court situation is the right path to go down. I am glad that there is support from the members from Alice Springs in regards to what we propose to do with the pensioner situation on the Gillen House site.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I, too, welcome your announcement of a seniors village. It is good news.
Reports noted pursuant to Sessional Order.
MEDIA ARRANGEMENTS
Madam SPEAKER: Members, I advise that I have given permission for various media to broadcast with sound and vision the Chief Minister’s statement, and the Northern Territory News to take photographs of the Chief Minister.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Mini-Budget
Mini-Budget
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I present the November 2001 Mini-Budget Statement to this parliament. The mini-budget is a milestone in public administration as it places the Territory’s finances on the most important path of fiscal sustainability, a path the Territory has wavered from in recent years. In achieving fiscal sustainability, however, the priorities for government spending have been reset, and the initiatives outlined in Labor’s election platform have been implemented.
When my government first came to power, Territorians were unaware of the parlous state of the Territory’s finances. At the first briefing I received from Treasury, as Chief Minister and Treasurer, I was advised that the budget was unsustainable. As honourable members are well aware, this was devastating news to Territorians and the new government, and we immediately commissioned an independent expert to advise us on the full state of the Territory’s finances, the reasons for that position, and to suggest solutions. Professor Allan confirmed Treasury’s advice. He recommended that a deficit reduction strategy be implemented immediately and a range of financial reforms be adopted in order to promote improved fiscal management practices. That has been done.
The alternative was to continue to send Territorians further and further into debt, with consequent cuts to core services and their priorities overturned by the demands of financiers. This mini-budget is the product of three months intensive work by the Cabinet, the public sector, and the many parts of the community with whom we have consulted. As a result, the government has been able to develop a fiscally-sustainable plan for this, our first term of government. We have taken on board the important and valuable contributions provided by the Economic Development Summit.
The mini-budget incorporates Labor’s election commitments and reorders government spending to increase the priority given to the essential areas of health, education and law enforcement services.
Considerable assistance is provided to the construction industry this year: an additional $8.7m for capital works and a further $6m for repairs and maintenance expenditure. As an additional stimulus to our construction sector, QuickStart will be reinstated from tomorrow. QuickStart II will operate under the same guidelines as previously and will continue until 31 January 2002. The extension of the scheme at this critical time will boost residential construction and help keep construction workers in the Territory. The estimated cost is $1.5m. QuickStart II is timed to take maximum advantage of the Commonwealth’s extension of its First Home Owners Grant, and should mean that there is a greater take-up of the scheme than had it been extended at a later time.
Importantly, the mini-budget incorporates a deficit reduction strategy designed to get the budget in surplus by 2004-05. This substantial turnaround in the Territory’s finances has not been achieved through a policy of slash and burn. It is the result of careful reallocation and re-balancing of the priorities across government. The mini-budget does not cut expenditure. Rather, the growth in expenditure over 2001-02 and the forward estimates period is being slowed so that the Territory’s revenue can catch up.
Over the period of the government’s first term it is expected that final consumption expenditure, representing the government’s major spending component on salaries and operational costs, will increase by 14%, which is close to 4% real increase. Excluding spending on the railway, the Territory government’s expenditure on new fixed assets will be slightly higher over the next four years, averaging at $236m, than it has been over the previous five years where the average was $231m. Expenditure will be slightly higher in the first two years because of the increases in capital works spending approved by the government and the progress of a number of major projects including the Royal Darwin and Alice Springs Hospitals and the East Arm Port.
In the best interests of Territorians this mini-budget is framed around four core principles:
the unavoidable necessity of restoring the budget bottom line to surplus, thus placing the Territory
on a financially responsible path of debt reduction over the medium term;
to the August election;
service; and
average paid by the residents of other states.
In addition, we took on board a number of initiatives raised during the Economic Development Summit.
Before providing details of the mini-budget, it is appropriate that I provide an update on the Territory economy. During the mid to late 1990s, the Territory economy out-performed the rest of Australia. As the stimulus from the Defence Force relocation program eased back, the 1990s growth phase came to an end. After falling to just 0.9% in 1999-2000, economic growth of 4.5% was recorded in 2000-01, but a spike in oil production acted to mask subdued onshore conditions. In 2000-01, dwelling investment declined for the second year in a row and private consumption growth weakened markedly after three years of strong growth.
After two years of weak onshore activity, the economy is expected to show some signs of a pickup in the short term, despite a heightened external risk to the outlook. The outlook has been affected by the deferral of the gas pipeline to Darwin and the decision by Methanex to pursue an alternative location for its methanol plant. In addition, the impact of an already weakening world economy has been exacerbated by fallout from the terrorist attacks in the US and the collapse of Ansett. Nonetheless, the Territory economy can improve.
Economic growth is forecast by Treasury to grow by 5% in 2001-02, despite recent setbacks. Economic growth will be driven by the construction phase of the $1.3bn Alice Springs to Darwin railway and a modest recovery in dwellings investment and household consumption expenditure. The work done on the railway will boost output, employment and incomes in the Territory, boosting activity in construction and manufacturing industries. Contracts and employment associated with the railway will also act to improve consumer confidence and business sentiment.
Private consumption is set to turn around throughout 2002, although, in the short term, consumer confidence will play an important role in determining how quickly spending recovers. After two years of negatives, dwelling investment is expected to make a positive contribution to economic growth in 2001-02.
Given recent events and uncertainties surrounding major oil and gas projects, the anticipated phase of strong and sustained employment growth in the Territory may be delayed. Employment will benefit from the construction phase of the railway, but will be affected by the impact on tourism-related sectors of the world economic slow down, compounded by the 11 September attacks and the collapse of Ansett.
Population growth in the Territory has moderated in line with the Army relocation program, falling to 1.1% in the year to March 2001. Population is expected to increase in 2001-02 with the outflow experienced over the past three years from net interstate migration expected to decline.
In 2000-01, the one-off impact of the introduction of the GST influenced price inflation, as did the exchange rate and petrol prices. The Darwin CPI increased by 5.4% in 2000-01, below the 6% increase in the national CPI. In the latest, the September 2001, quarter, Darwin’s annual CPI fell back to 1.9% against 2.5% nationally as the one-off impact of the GST dropped out. Darwin’s CPI inflation for 2001-02 is forecast at 2.5%.
Territory average weekly ordinary time earnings growth slowed in 2000-01, reflecting a soft labour market. Territory wages growth is likely to remain contained in 2001-02, in line with national trends.
Exports contributed strongly to growth in 2000-01. This will change in 2001-02 as oil field pressure and, therefore, production from Laminaria-Corallina falls. Deteriorating external conditions will also act to undermine prices and demand for Territory exports of goods and services. External risks are therefore biased on the downside. A large proportion of Territory exports are used in manufacturing production in Southeast Asia for subsequent export to the United States and other industrialised nations.
International travel is being affected in the short term by weaker economic conditions in many parts of the world, as well as fallout from the terrorist attacks. Nevertheless, Australia’s safe haven status and low dollar should cushion the impact on international visitor arrivals to some extent. There is also increased likelihood that Australians will defer international travel in favour of domestic travel.
Despite short-term uncertainty, the Territory’s medium term economic growth prospects have a significant upside, particularly considering the number of potential gas-related projects under serious consideration.
Territorians demonstrated their faith in our future at the recent Economic Development Summit hosted by my government at the beginning of November. For the first time, a broad cross-section of the business community, unions, indigenous and welfare groups, and educators were brought together to explore the options available to the Territory to secure its economic future in both the short and the longer term. My government is listening to Territorians and we are acting on their recommendations. There emerged a true spirit of partnership that together we can work cooperatively, making the most of the genuine opportunities available to us.
This means not only oil and gas but a broad spectrum of possibilities emerging in this new century, harnessing the skills, knowledge and drive of Territorians and unleashing the potential of our indigenous community. I am proud of the positive way business has responded to the summit, and my government has already worked to ensure open and effective communication between government and business. Last Thursday, the Gas Task Force met with business to discuss the status of current developments and to seek input into strategies that will bring the earliest delivery of gas onshore.
Further, I received a submission from leading business organisations including the Chamber of Commerce, the Territory Construction Association, the Minerals Council and the Motor Traders Association on the proposal to establish a Territory-based think tank. This will commission further research to expand business opportunities and to harness the talent we have across the public and private sectors. I support this concept. A working party will continue to develop the concept and explore the best options to be adopted with the full support of government. As these business organisations have noted, more and more we will need to pursue the issues associated with building our own economic sovereignty in the face of national and international pressures. No one else is going to do it for us. I believe further positive initiatives will be announced shortly by the business community, and welcome them.
The summit delegates also acknowledged that the government, for its part, must repair the damaged finances it inherited and work toward fiscal sustainability.
One of Professor Allan’s recommendations was the introduction of fiscal integrity and transparency legislation, similar to the Commonwealth’s charter of budget honesty, and comparable legislation in some state jurisdictions. The Territory’s legislation is expected to be passed during these sittings.
The mini-budget documentation has been prepared on a basis consistent with the Fiscal Integrity and Transparency Bill and sets new standards for the presentation of budget information in the Territory. The bill requires that whole-of-government information be prepared on a basis which is consistent with externally determined standards, and be based on the Uniform Presentation Framework as agreed by governments.
This has required a change to Budget Paper No 2 which includes the agency-based estimates and the introduction of a new Budget Paper No 3, The Economic and Fiscal Outlook. As before, Budget Paper No 2 includes detailed material for each agency and summary tables for the public account on a gross basis, consistent with the information required for agency management, appropriation and allocation purposes. The information in Budget Paper No 2 is consistent with the new public sector administrative arrangements that I announced on 13 November.
Because of the short time between that announcement and the mini-budget, estimates have been made on the amounts associated with the restructure which we will need to transfer from one agency to another. The amounts identified are generally those provided by the agency from which the function is transferring, although it is likely that these amounts may increase when negotiations about corporate overhead and centrally-managed costs are finalised.
Budget Paper No 2 no longer includes summary information on a net basis. The whole-of-government net information is included in Budget Paper No 3 and is based on the Northern Territory’s total public sector as required by the fiscal integrity and transparency legislation and consistent with the Uniform Presentation Framework agreement.
This Uniform Presentation Framework scope is broader than the budget sector included in Budget Paper No 2 and includes the AustralAsia Railway Corporation. Because of timing differences between the receipt of funds from the three governments and payments to the consortium and the magnitude of the funds involved, the inclusion of the AustralAsia Railway Corporation distorts the Territory’s underlying fiscal position. These timing differences result in a notional improvement in the Territory’s bottom line in 2000-01, and a similar deterioration in 2001-02.
Accordingly, in order to provide the most accurate picture of the Territory’s fiscal position, I will report on the Territory’s total public sector excluding the AustralAsia Railway Corporation.
The estimated outcome for 2001-02, following the mini-budget consideration, is a deficit of $126m. This amount includes $17m in carryover items from 2000-01, and it is expected that a similar amount will be carried into 2002-03. Thus, the likely end of year outcome is expected to be lower than the $126m forecast. This result has been achieved after resetting the allocation for agencies to properly reflect their expenditure requirements; inclusion of the government’s initiatives and savings as outlined in the election platform; and incorporation of a debt-reduction strategy necessary to put the Territory’s finances on a sustainable basis.
Final consumption expenditure is expected to grow by 3.5% compared with 2000-01 and will ensure that government spending, so necessary for the local economy, is growing in real terms but at a more sustainable rate than over the past four years. Current outlays are expected to grow by a less of 1.6%, due to reductions in interest costs as a result of the Territory’s large debt refinancing program occurring in a lower interest rate environment.
Excluding the railway, new fixed capital expenditure is $33m greater than in 2000-01, and $12m more than in the May budget brought down by the previous government. I will repeat that - $12m more than in the May budget brought down by the previous government which certainly takes on the Opposition Leader’s ridiculous comments this morning on radio. This increase has been achieved in a very difficult fiscal environment and indicates the government’s commitments to the construction industry as a key contributor to the local economy.
The Territory’s revenues are expected to be $2.064m in 2001-02, an increase of 4.2% over last year. Territory taxes are estimated to decline by nearly $5m due to the abolition of state-based taxes as part of the national tax reform package. Commonwealth grants show a commensurate rise consistent with the commitment the state jurisdictions will be no worse off as part of tax reform. The Territory is required to increase its borrowings by $100m consistent with the estimated deficit. If the outcome is better than anticipated, then a lower level of borrowings will be undertaken.
The forward estimates project that the Territory’s total public sector will be in surplus by 2004-05. This has been achieved after the reallocation of expenditure requirements of government agencies so that their budget allocations reflect their expenditure needs; the inclusion of government initiatives and savings; and the incorporation of the deficit reduction strategy. This is a considerable achievement for the government, given the advice that we received just three months ago on the unsustainability of the Territory’s financial position.
The key requirement in achieving the projected outcome is to limit growth in final consumption expenditure to no more than 3.4% per annum over the forward estimates period. This will be difficult when compared with recent years where, despite initial budget predictions of little growth, actual outcomes showed growth of 6.7% per annum on average over the four years to 2000-01. But there is no alternative. We simply cannot afford to spend more.
I hasten to repeat that this is not a decline in expenditure but, rather, a slowing down of the rate of growth. The basis on which the forward estimates have been projected is set out in Budget Paper No 3. The projections include a provision for a contingency amount that has not been allocated to specific functional areas. The contingency is consistent with amounts required in previous years, and needs to be, to accommodate fiscal events outside the Territory’s direct control. These can include natural disasters such as floods or cyclones, changes in national economic parameters that affect the Territory’s level of grants from the Commonwealth, or other concerns such as national or international recession. It also prudently sets aside funds to assist in meeting the infrastructure costs associated with the arrival of gas onshore.
The forward estimates include the known requirements of agencies and reflect policy decisions made to date. Over the next couple of months, more detailed analysis of the forward estimates will be undertaken to determine whether all of the known agency-related issues that will affect our future fiscal position have been included. This may result in some reallocation of the contingency amounts to agencies. At the end of that process, Cabinet will determine an approved forward estimate for each agency, and will expect the agency to manage its service delivery requirements within that allocation.
An important element of this government’s election platform was the carefully developed, fully-costed election promises. As part of the mini-budget planning, each of those promises has been analysed and considered again by government. I am pleased to announce that all of the initiatives that we included in our financial platform have been included in the mini-budget and forward estimates in a fiscally responsible manner.
With the benefit of greater information available in government, we have been able to revise the costings of a number of initiatives and to identify others where the initiative can be undertaken within the existing resources of agencies. Some others have had their expected start dates deferred by a year. The cost of these government initiatives is $13m in 2001-02 - including the bringing forward of a grant of $6m to the Nominal Insurer payable with respect to the emerging cost of the HIH liabilities - and $136m over the four years to 2004-05. I repeat that for the benefit of the opposition: the cost of these government initiatives in this financial year is $13m. $49m or 36% has been allocated over the next four years to health; $28m or 21% to education; and $20m or 15% of that increase to law enforcement. These amounts are in addition to the increases in ongoing operational funding and the escalation provisions included in the forward estimates.
To put these costs in perspective, they represent just 1.5% of total outlays over the four years to 2004-05. I would say very modest and very responsible. These costs are offset by the savings measures identified by the government prior to the election together with a small part of the budget improvement measures. The budget improvement measures in this mini-budget are predominantly required to fix the deficit my government inherited. That is the bottom line of what this mini-budget is all about. This mini-budget is about fixing the deficit that we inherited from the previous administration. This mini-budget is about that deficit, about the dishonesty that was presented in the May budget papers, and this mini-budget is about fixing that.
Budget Paper No 3 includes a complete listing of the government’s initiatives. I will also detail a number of initiatives later in this statement.
To bring the Territory’s fiscal position under control, a deficit reduction strategy is an essential component. It has not been easy, but the government was committed to putting in place an achievable, realistic deficit reduction strategy. The strategy has necessarily required additional revenue measures, as well as saving targets for agencies. However, the revenue measures are limited and account for less than a quarter of the recurrent savings measures. The revenue measures are carefully targeted to ensure Territorians contribute equitably, while keeping the burden as low as possible on any individual group or sector.
The revenue raising measures are:
- the introduction of a Temporary Budget Improvement Levy on vehicle registrations;
and miscellaneous charges imposed by the Motor Vehicle Registry;
waste charges for the disposal of non-domestic strength sewage.
The new measures should raise $4.4m for the remainder of 2001-02, and about $42m to the end of 2004-05.
I will now look at those measures in detail. The Temporary Budget Improvement Levy is being introduced from 28 November 2001 as a supplementary level on vehicle registration fees. The levy is set at $90 per annum and applies to vehicles capable of being used for private and domestic purposes. The legislation specifies the levy will only operate for three years, ending on the 27 November 2004. During that time, it is expected to raise $24m. A 50% concession applies to holders of the NT Pensioner Concession Card, and holders of the Commonwealth Health Care Card and Pensioner Health Benefit Card issued under the Commonwealth Social Security Act.
Certain vehicles including heavy vehicles, trailers, caravans, tractors and mobile plant and machinery are excluded from the levy to minimise the impact on business. Arrangements have also been made to ensure the cost of the levy is passed through to parliamentarians and government workers who are provided with a private-plated government vehicle for their use. So, we will all pay.
Vehicle and driver licensing fees in the Territory have remained unchanged for a number of years and in some cases are low compared with other jurisdictions. These fees will increase by 20%. For example, a one-year driver’s licence will increase from $20 to $24. The exception is commercial vehicle licence fees which remain unchanged since these fees were restructured in 1999 as part of the Taxi Licence Compensation Scheme.
Miscellaneous Motor Vehicle Registry charges include vehicle inspection charges and fees for personalised number plates. Again, these fees have remained unchanged for a number of years and are low compared with other jurisdictions. The current $50 flat fee for personalised number plates does not cover production and administration costs and will increase to $140 from 1 January 2002. Vehicle inspection fees will increase from $20 GST-exclusive to $35 GST-exclusive for light vehicles, and $70 GST-exclusive for heavy vehicles from 1 January 2002. This will also assist private inspectors to recover inspection costs. Other miscellaneous Motor Vehicle Registry charges will increase by about 20%. These include various administrative fees, as well as some fees for METAL, the Motorcyclist Education Training and Licencing.
The pastoral lease rental rate will increase from 1% to 2%, with effect from 1 July 2002, for the 2002-03 year, the first increase in the rate since 1992. This should lead to increased revenue in 2002-03 of $1.4m. It is recognised that the pastoral industry is susceptible to seasonal and fluctuating market fortunes. Accordingly, hardship criteria have been established to allow pastoral rents to be deferred or waived in appropriate circumstances.
Water and sewerage tariffs will increase by 5% with effect from 1 January 2002. For example, for water, the domestic usage charge will increase from 63 per kilolitre to 66 per kilolitre. For a domestic consumer, the average impact is increased water charges of $18 per annum. Similarly, for sewerage, the current fixed annual charge for domestic customers rises from $299 to $314 or an additional $15 per annum for the average domestic customer.
The range of sewerage charges will be expanded to recover the costs of collection and treatment of non-domestic sewage from the commercial sector. Trade waste charges will apply from 1 January 2002. This should lead to better environmental, occupational health and safety, regulatory and financial outcomes for PAWA and the Territory government, as well as meeting COAG water reform objectives.
As my government raised in the October sittings, we have some concerns about Treasury’s revenue forecast used in the 2001-02 budget relating to land sales. I have raised this matter with Treasury who have advised, as it is only five months into the financial year, it is too early to provide a more definitive figure. I have requested Treasury to monitor their forecast and provide regular advice to me. More details on these revenue measures are included in chapter 2 of Budget Paper No 3.
The overall approach to budget improvement has been to slow down the growth in outlays for the government sector as a whole. While overall outlays continue to rise in real terms, the impact on agencies varies. The budget improvement measures comprise the saving measures, where the government indicated before the election that it would increase efficiency and eliminate waste, and target budget improvement measures across the public sector. The areas where the government indicated it would make savings include reduction in travel costs, public relations and marketing, and consultancies. Information on these savings measures are included in chapter 3 of Budget Paper No 3.
In addition to these specific areas, and in line with the recommendations made by Professor Allan to address the financial circumstances we inherited, the government has approved a budget improvement model which meets the budget improvement target, without compromising the priority areas for this government and for Territorians. Budget improvement targets were focussed on the final consumption expenditure of agencies. Grants, capital expenditure, repairs and maintenance expenditure, and superannuation benefit payments were excluded from the savings measures. Hospitals, health and community services, schools, police and emergency services and custodial services have been largely quarantined from these budget improvement measures.
The budget improvement target is applied in 2001-02 and 2002-03. Thereafter, an annual productivity dividend of 1% is applied on the expectation that the public sector will achieve ongoing productivity improvements from technology and other investment improved work practices. The annual productivity dividend will be applied in the same way as the budget improvement model in that only 0.25% will be applied to the quarantined functional areas.
To assist agencies to achieve these targets, a series of workshops has already been held, outlining the ways in which real productivity improvements can be achieved in both the short and the longer term. Under the old management culture, agencies were given unrealistically low budgets with detailed allocations for activities within each agency. The inevitable budget blowouts were funded without due regard to an overall fiscal strategy with deficits, as we saw, growing rapidly over the past four years.
Chief executive officers were not held accountable for the performance of their agencies. As part of the new culture, the government has established criteria to improve public sector management. The onus will be on chief executive officers to deliver a threefold bottom line:
- to produce financial outcomes within annual budgets;
The government will carefully monitor the implementation of the budget improvement initiatives to ensure services to the Territory’s regional and remote areas are not compromised. Chief executive officers are to be provided with greater flexibility in managing the budgets of their agencies through the move to a single-line appropriation from this mini-budget and progression to net appropriations from 2002-03.
I now highlight particular aspects of the mini-budget. Health is a priority area for this government and the mini-budget delivers on our commitments. An additional $34m has been provided to the Department of Health and Community Services. Significant initiatives included in this amount are:
- the recruitment of an additional 10 nurses in 2001-02, increasing to 75 by the end of this
term of government;
additional 25 nurses to be employed by the end of 2002-03;
department - and I say again, the real expenditure requirements of the department - rather than
the fake, dishonest ones we have seen from the previous government;
salaries by 11% over two years. This means we are delivering early on our commitment to increase
nurses salaries by 15% over four years; and
Another priority area is Employment, Education and Training where the newly-established department will bring together a range of important functions to ensure that the Territory’s education and training needs are appropriately met and, as a result, employment grows. There is a $10m increase in funding for services provided by the department. Specific initiatives are:
- $5m has been provided for increased operational funding for schools;
school year. This will increase progressively to an additional 100 teachers by the end of the
government’s first term;
existing schools.
$6m has also been provided to the nominal insurer in relation to the collapse of HIH.
Law enforcement functions have received priority in the mini-budget. Police, Fire and Emergency Services have been provided with an additional $2m. In addition to $0.7m in one-off funding for the Falconio investigation, ongoing funding of $1.3m has been provided for increased communication costs and the Police Consent Agreement. Funding has also been provided to progressively deploy an additional 50 police officers and seven support staff; 10 police and two support staff will be recruited in the 2001-02 year.
The Department of Justice has received a $5m increase in its base allocation to manage payments associated with the Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund. This was previously funded from Treasurer’s Advance, making management of the fund more difficult than it needed to be. An additional $0.9m has been provided to the Director of Public Prosecutions having regard to the additional workload faced by the office over an extended period of time.
Services to industry will receive an additional focus as a result of the mini-budget and the administrative restructuring I announced on 13 November. The Office of Territory Development will receive an additional $0.12m in 2001-02 to assist with its establishment. A further $0.6m will be provided from 2002-03 onwards for ongoing expanded operations. This is in addition to the budgets of the existing units which will be brought together to form the office.
$0.25m has been provided to progress the Desert Knowledge Precinct.
The Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development has been provided with an additional $1.7m for a range of programs, some of which have been carried over from 2000-2001. They include: the eradication of the banana black sigatoga and the red imported fire ant; additional funding for the rail task group; and the establishment of short course business skills workshop and business case managers.
The new Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs will bring together the many community and lifestyle functions which are so important to the Territory. An additional $0.2m has been provided for the operational requirements of the Alice Springs Cultural Precinct. Increases in a range of arts and cultural programs have been approved to commence from 2002-03.
The Territory’s remote communities have been given priority in the mini-budget with an additional $2m for essential services and $0.15m for sport and recreation officers in 2001-02, rising to $0.3m in 2002-03.
The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment will bring together key functions necessary to ensure the sustainable development of the Territory. It is expected that the improved coordination, which will result from the new department, will enhance the opportunity available to developers and those in the construction industry. As I have already said, this mini-budget includes a significant boost for the construction industry with an increase of $15m in various parts of the works program. An additional $6m has been provided for repairs and maintenance, and a further $4m has been provided for minor new works.
In line with the recommendation of the Economic Development Summit, the government has already announced it will progress the redevelopment of the Darwin Wharf Precinct in conjunction with the private sector. The Power and Water Authority will spend an additional $1.5m on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and $1.5m on increased maintenance at Channel Island.
This mini-budget sets the Territory on a long overdue path to fiscal sustainability. There is no alternative. The reason this mini-budget is required is to address the substantial deficit this new government inherited. Improvement in the Territory’s fiscal position will require commitment and discipline, something we did not see from the previous administration. It will not be easy, but it is essential that the fiscal targets set out in the forward estimates be met. Even so, the mini-budget provides for growth. There are real annual increases in final consumption expenditure, and new fixed capital expenditure is expected to average slightly more over the forward estimates period than the previous five years.
The fiscal position will recover as the economic situation improves. In addition to the government’s works program, the railway construction will deliver considerable additional work to the construction and related services industries.
Madam Speaker, the mini-budget provides the firm fiscal base on which the Territory’s next stage of development will come. I proudly commend the statement to the House.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Debate adjourned.
CESSATION OF BROADCAST
Madam SPEAKER: Honorable members, we will now go on with government business of the day. I ask that broadcast and filming cease.
STATUTE LAW REVISION BILL (No.2)
(Serial 19)
(Serial 19)
Continued from 18 October 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I have had an opportunity to carefully examine the provisions of the Statute Law Revision Bill (No 2). There are no substantive changes in policy. Indeed, the bill contains a number of housekeeping amendments relating to acts from the Crown Lands Act to the Wills Act, and the opposition supports the bill in its current form.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for their support for the bill. Members will be aware that Statute Law Revision Bills are brought to this House a couple of times a year. They only have the effect of tidying up spelling and other technical issues within the existing legislation without introducing any significant change regarding the policy expressed in that legislation. This is a typical Statute Law Revision Bill that we are considering today.
I foreshadow that I will be bringing on an amendment in the committee stage. It was necessitated simply by a drafting oversight when the bill was presented to me. We will fix that up as we go through the committee stages.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I move amendment 1.1. Schedule 1 of the bill provides for the reference to the Co-operative Trading Societies Act in the Companies (Unclaimed Assets and Moneys) Act to be omitted and replaced by a reference to the Co-operatives Act. This amendment is no longer necessary. The required correction was made by the Corporations Reform (Consequential Amendments NT) Act 2001. That act commenced operation on 15 July 2001. Accordingly, the proposed amendment is to be removed from this bill.
Amendment agreed to.
Bill, as amended, agreed to.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
SENTENCING AMENDMENT BILL (No.4)
(Serial 15)
(Serial 15)
Continued from 18 October 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I have had an opportunity to examine the bill. As the member for Stuart quite properly said in his second reading speech, it was recommended by the Coroner, Warren Donald, following the inquest into the death of Rosie McIntyre. I note with interest that the provision implements the safeguards in the Police Administration Act, namely, section 137 and 138 relating to the time that a person can be held in custody.
The bill is clear on the face of the document, and the opposition supports the bill in its current form.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the opposition for their support for this bill. It really arose out of an oversight when the other legislation was brought in and out of the statute books. This corrects the situation by allowing police to deal with these matters of suspended sentences and mercy releases, and so we can allow the police to not only deal with people who are in breach in those situations but also to protect potential victims where an offender may go back to their community or the place where the victim is residing and cause further harm to that person. It is important to have police given the right to deal in a timely fashion with those types of situations to prevent further tragedy or duress to people who are already victims.
Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, I thank the opposition for their support.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
FINES AND PENALTIES
(RECOVERY) BILL
(Serial 16)
FINES AND PENALTIES (RECOVERY) (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL
(Serial 17)
(RECOVERY) BILL
(Serial 16)
FINES AND PENALTIES (RECOVERY) (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL
(Serial 17)
Continued from 25 October 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, at the outset I am indebted to the Attorney-General and his staff for giving me a briefing in respect of the legislation. The legislation, historically, comes from a report prepared by the Public Accounts Committee, Report No 33, an Inquiry into the Fines, Fees and Outstanding Debts Situation in the Northern Territory.
The joint task force and various other jurisdictions came up with what it thought was the best practice scheme and effectively based on the New South Wales model, we now have before this parliament the bill in its present form, the Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Bill 2001.
I can indicate that the opposition supports the bills. There is a condition, effectively, that government review the cost effectiveness of the recovery unit - that is, the recovery unit established under the act - in 12 months time. If the Attorney-General can give that undertaking that there certainly will be a review of the cost of the implementation of this legislation to see how cost effective it is in 12 months time, the opposition support the bills in their current form.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank the minister for a briefing that he gave us last week. I have a few queries about the act. One is a case of when you get a child who is 14 and who, of course, cannot have a licence. What happens in those circumstances when trying to collect a fine? Who is responsible for the payment of that fine?
Another one is that there needs to be some protection for some of the poorer people in our society who, for instance, do not have a licence, probably live in a house on an Aboriginal community where they do not actually own the house, they rent it and are living communally, and, in some cases, may not be physically fit enough to do community orders. I would like to hear the Attorney-General’s comments about how those people are protected. One of the things that I find very difficult is that people can still go to gaol for sleeping in a public place. One of the funny things I find in society is that being drunk in a public place - which I think is more obnoxious than sleeping in a public place - is not an offence.
I agree with the member for Goyder that we do need a review in 12 months. That review should look at what percentage of fines have been recovered compared with what is happening at the present time as the number of people who are now serving prison sentences for non-payment of fines decreases. We ought also to have a cost analysis to see whether the amount of money recovered from fines is equivalent to the cost of running the Fines Recovery Unit.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Madam Speaker, I would like to go over what a fine is to make it clear to everyone in the House and others who may be listening. A fine is a penalty that you must pay if you break the law. You can be fined by a court or by a government officer such as a police officer. Certain types of offences attract a fine, while others may result in a gaol sentence or other penalty. However, fines are still very serious. If you do not pay your fine on time, you may have to pay even more money. In the most serious cases, you could be sent to gaol.
If you travel faster than the legal speed limit, you can be fined by a police officer at the time or you could receive a penalty through the mail, if it is through a speed camera. If you drive through a red light and you are caught on a red light camera, you could receive a fine for that. A court can order you to pay a fine if the court decides you have broken the law and you will generally be told how much that fine is at court.
Fines can range from amounts under $100 to thousands of dollars depending on the law that was broken. In some cases, depending on how serious an offence is, the court may have a choice of whether to impose a fine or send a person to gaol. Fines and other penalties encourage people not to break the law. If fines and other penalties are to work, they must be enforced. If some people do not pay their fines, others may not take the law seriously. For example, if laws against speeding were not enforced by the police, people may not obey the speed limit and others could be hurt or killed.
The bills we are debating today will establish the Fines and Recovery Unit. The unit will have the power to make enforcement orders against fine defaulters and to receive and collect outstanding fines and infringements by a number of means such as suspension of driver’s licence or vehicle registration; restriction of business with the Motor Vehicle Registry; property seizure orders; garnishee of wages; registered charge on property; community work orders; issue of warrants for breach of community work orders as a last option; and administration of write-off policy.
The Fines Recovery Unit will be responsible for making sure that people pay their fines. This makes sure that people take the law seriously and that our community is safer. Money collected from fines may then be put to good use in our schools, hospitals and communities.
By researching the benefits to the community of introducing bills such as these, I referred to the Public Accounts Committee Report No 33 entitled Inquiry Into Fees, Fines and Outstanding Debts. I had cause to note the contribution of other jurisdictions. Western Australia has implemented a similar regime to the one our government is proposing. The Western Australian model was designed to increase the number of infringement notices and court fines being paid by minimising costly enforcement actions. This initiative, it was noted, had the flow-on effect of reducing the number of people going to gaol - I will say that again: had the flow-on effect of reducing the number of people going to gaol - as well as releasing police officers from fine enforcement, allowing them to concentrate on their core function.
These are some of the community strengths of this new scheme. It not only increases the rate of fine recovery, but will assist our police to get back to core business: serving and protecting our community. The Commander of Southern Region Operational Services Command of the NT Police, when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee, noted that when a fine is not paid and a Warrant of Commitment is issued, it is usually a police officer who has to apprehend the defendant and deliver him or her into the custody of Correctional Services for a set period unless the fine and other associated costs be sooner paid.
The NT Police submission also noted that the execution of warrants is a resource-intensive activity and, at the time of the submission in the Alice Springs area alone, they had a Warrants and Inquiry section with two officers dedicated to court processes, including the processing of warrants. This scheme will help police get on with their primary role of crime prevention and law enforcement rather than having them diverted into the role of debt collector.
Prior to the introduction of the system in Western Australia, it was found that the use of work and development orders - similar to our proposed community work order - as a default option, was both costly and ineffective, particularly where fine defaulters had the capacity to pay but inappropriately sought a work and development order. Community work orders were intended as an alternative to imprisonment, not as an alternative to the payment of a fine.
Closer scrutiny of individuals in Western Australia at the time of the assessment has seen a marked improvement in this area. Our system will work to ensure that people who have the capacity to pay their fine will be refused the option of community work orders and instead, appropriate alternative debt recovery action will be initiated.
The Public Accounts Committee report also noted that in the experience of South Australia, some fine defaulters did not see imprisonment as a deterrent and were prepared to use it to expiate unpaid fines. South Australia considered this mentality took away the purpose of the primary sanction and the consequences were that fines were not collected, and individuals were imprisoned not for a crime, but as a penalty against the non-recovery of a debt. Indeed, this phenomena was also noted to be occurring in the Territory.
The commander I mentioned earlier went on to note that he thought it relevant to mention that in many instances, the subject of a warrant elected not to pay the fine and either do the appropriate term in custody or perhaps be granted a service order.
Under our system, imprisonment will be the very last resort. Our system ensures that there are effective alternative options to place before a person who has the capacity to pay, but won’t. South Australia, just like Victoria, saw that the establishment of dedicated unit would best serve the collection and enforcement of fines and expiation of fees, with a specific focus on collection.
The role of a debt recovery officer is a very difficult role indeed. It does not come easily to a lot of people to confront strangers and make demands for money, nor does it come easily to deal with people on a daily basis who are in hardship but nevertheless have a debt they must pay. Whilst there is no dispute that people who receive a fine have broken the law, and the fine is a blunt tool to ensure compliance with the expectations of society, there are some people who seemingly have an inability to budget in order to pay their debt. These people need to be assisted in coming to an arrangement with government. These people have broken the law, but in the vast number of cases, it is in the community’s interest to make sure they pay the fine rather than default and face a gaol term.
Government will support the public sector people who will be at the coal face managing this scheme. This support has taken the form of suitable accommodation, functional information technology tools and suitable, relevant training.
In line with this government’s commitment to a professional public service providing quality outcomes to the community, the Fines Recovery Unit will be adequately and suitably resourced to achieve its mission. Suitable accommodation for the unit has been leased. System changes to the Integrated Justice Information System have been undertaken to accommodate new enforcement options and provide an interface with the Motor Vehicle Registry as licence suspension is one of the new options. Work on the Integrated Justice Information System has been completed and is fully operational. The Service Level Agreement has been finalised with the Motor Vehicle Registry, being a major part of the new fines enforcement system. Negotiations are continuing to conclude Service Level Agreements with other stakeholders such as city councils, NT Police and NT Correctional Services.
Communications equipment for the new unit has been purchased and is being installed as part of the fit-out of the offices. As the minister mentioned earlier, a media campaign strategy will precede the full operation of the new regime. The campaign will include television, radio and print media. The campaign will also take into account the specific communication requirements of some indigenous Territorians so as to ensure broad community understanding of the new scheme. Recruitment of all positions has been completed and staff have been undertaking intensive training, in preparation for the passage of this legislation.
People who have fines to pay are entitled to a high level of customer service, as is a person who enters into a transaction with a business house. Most people, whenever they undertake a business transaction these days, want to be able to do all their related business in one place at one time. The Fines Recovery Unit offers such a culture of service to its customers.
The Fines Recovery Unit will be a separate registry at the Local Court, with the role and responsibility for managing the process of enforcement throughout the Territory. It will, in effect, be a one-stop shop for aspects of fine recovery including receipting of payments, making time to pay arrangements, and providing information to the public about the enforcement process.
Effects of this new scheme will be felt in the areas of case management. This government is not about causing undue hardship, while still addressing the need to ensure that fines are maintained and recognised by all to be both a penalty and a deterrent to future breaches of our laws. While this scheme comes with a raft of options for ensuring fine debtors do not default on payments, there is recognition within government that not all people default for the same reason or motivation. Every defaulter will be allocated a case manager under the new scheme. This will ensure that flexible payment plans are developed according to individual needs and requirements. The plans will take into consideration individual hardship and it is anticipated that this, in turn, will lead to increased motivation of defaulters to meet their payment obligations.
Efficiency: flexible payment options will be available. These include electronic transfer and direct debit. Negotiations with Centrelink are underway for direct payment to be made from benefits. In addition, the same recovery process will be used for both court fines and infringement notices.
Imprisonment rate: the key features of enforcement procedures of the new scheme include a hierarchy of enforcement options and the ability to apply to convert an outstanding fine to a community work order at any stage of the enforcement process. Consequently, imprisonment can only occur if a defaulter refuses to undertake or fails to complete a community work order. This should lead to a considerable reduction in the rate of imprisonment, particularly of indigenous fine defaulters.
Culture change: the new scheme removes both the police and the courts from the processing of infringement notices and enforcement. It is based on a case management system with flexible payment options to accommodate individual circumstance. This will create a more client-friendly approach to the collection of fines and penalties, and bridge the gap between defaulters and enforcement agencies. The impact will be increased collection rate, which will stem from increased motivation of defaulters to meet their obligations.
Madam Speaker, this new scheme is based on Australian best practice derived from the NSW system and adjusted to cater for the unique characteristics of the Territory. I commend the scheme to honourable members.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, a couple of very quick points. I actually have no problems with the legislation as the Attorney-General has brought it into the House, having worked in the area myself for the police department collecting fines. There are a couple of questions I would like to ask the Attorney-General for the clarification of Territorians.
First, how much is currently outstanding in terms of Warrants of Commitment - in their monetary value - here in the Northern Territory? How will the unit itself work in terms of remote localities? As I understand it, it is a unit of four or five people. How is it going to get into remote localities and recover the monies associated with Warrants of Commitment, and how are they going to be able to operate in terms of ensuring that community work orders are actually followed through? Who is in charge of the management of those community work orders? Also, how is the unit itself going to operate in terms of recovery of Warrants of Commitment in urban centres? Are they actually going to drive up to people’s door steps?
I listened to the member for Sanderson, who discussed the matter as though it were a debt collection issue which, essentially, it is. Does the Attorney-General agree with the approach of the debt collection process and, if so, has attention been turned to the use of private debt collectors in these environments? If it hasn’t been considered, why not? If it has been considered, what reasons can the Attorney-General give as to why they are not going down that path?
We heard this morning from the Chief Minister in relation to bureaucracy and excessive bureaucratic structures. I am curious to see why we are creating an extra one if a private operator was able to pick up the ball and run with it themselves. I am sure the Attorney-General will be more than happy to answer my questions.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Fines and Penalties Recovery Bill. What I have done is broken this into three areas to outline. First, the monetary good days, then the bad days of the recent past, and then the improved system.
The monetary good days: not every offence dealt with in the criminal system calls for a prison sentence or suspended prison sentence. Imposing fines, infringement notices, and penalties as a punishment is a sentencing option for magistrates and that has a long history. It is an option that has the potential for unequal treatment under the law, simply because some citizens are far wealthier than others.
Magistrates, of course, try to take this into account by inquiring about the financial circumstances of the person they are dealing with and trying to make the size of the fine match the contents of the offender’s wallet. Despite the best attempts of magistrates in this regard, there has always been a problem making the concept of punishment by way of payment of fines, infringement notices and penalties seem like part of everyday reality, especially for Aboriginal people in remote Territory communities.
In the days before the introduction of the Sentencing Act, offenders had the option of getting rid of their fines, infringement notices and penalties by doing community service work. This option did not raise any money for government coffers but, on the whole, people who took the community service option were people who would have had difficulty paying any fines. The community service hours carried out constituted a tangible punishment which reminded both the offender and the passing community member of the reason why the offender was doing the work. In many cases, the discipline and activity of carrying out the community service order may well have also kept the offender out of further trouble, at least for a time.
The bad days of the recent past: as part of the previous government’s misguided law and order regime, the option of converting fines to community services was removed. This compounded the risk of unequal treatment that was inherent in the imposition of a fine as a penalty. That is, the risk that the fine would be a mere inconvenience to a wealthy individual but a crippling hardship for a poor one. The wealthy or even average salaried offender would have had the financial resources to pay the fine and would simply pay it. The poor - in the majority of cases, Aboriginal offenders - would not be able to afford to pay the fine and would default.
Sometimes the system would never catch up with him or her in which case there would be no revenue gained for the government and no effective punishment meted out through the criminal justice system. More often the system would eventually catch up with the offender, who would then cut out time in prison. I came across some statistics for the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 1999. There were 1826 episodes of imprisonment involving indigenous fine defaulters compared with 390 for non-indigenous fine defaulters. The equivalent figures for the period 1 January 1998 to 22 August 2001 were 2620 compared with 596 respectively.
I now briefly touch on that improved new system which we are heading to. Since its election on 18 August this year, the Martin Labor government has passed amending legislation to bring back the basic fairness that used to exist before the option to convert fines to community service was taken away. A young CDEP worker in an Aboriginal community with very little chance of paying off a fine, even if given a generous period of time in which to pay it, is once again in a position to be able to work off the fine by doing what will now be called a Community Work Order.
Most CDEP workers are employed only on half-day CDEP shifts, and the community supervisory resources will in most cases have no difficulty in coping with running community work order teams in alternate shifts.
The bill that we debate today represents a further fine-tuning of the system. Whether in town or out in the bush, not every poor person will be in a position to convert a fine into community work. Some offenders will be simply physically incapable of such work, whether as a result of age, illness, or disability. Rather than condemning such people to prison as fine defaulters, the plan to be put in place by the proposed Fines and Penalties Recovery Act will ensure that such disadvantaged members of our community who, in the real world, are not immune from committing the minor kinds of criminal offences that tend to attract punishment by way of fine, are given the sort of case management support they require over time to repay their debt.
This objective will be achieved by assisting them to pay off fines by way of small but regular instalments. The revenue gained for government will be an improvement on the net loss to taxpayers incurred in each incarceration of fine defaulters. It is hoped that the discipline of adhering to an instalment payment plan will assist in fostering habits of personal financial management that may then be translated to other aspects of the individual’s personal financial affairs.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for their contribution to the debate. It is good to see widespread input to legislation in this House. Too often it becomes just one of the ministers and the shadow with everyone else bowing out of it.
This is an important bill. It says something quite fundamental about our system of penalties, or prescriptions. It is attempting to reintroduce as a very strong area of punishment, the lightest area of the sequence of punishments that is available to the government. In fact, it is an area that has fallen into some disarray in recent times resulting in both more severe penalties for people and less severe penalties as attempts to collect these fines and penalties were abandoned. We were in sore need of reform and, certainly, as a member of the Public Accounts Committee that undertook this study, we were very aware of the dysfunctions that really needed to be fixed. Hopefully, today, we will have put that task aside.
To go to some of the points that were raised by various speakers, I am certainly quite happy to put on Hansard a commitment to a review of this act. An appropriate time would be more like 15 to 18 months out - perhaps the start of the year 2003 might be the appropriate time - to allow the moratorium period of three months to be gone through. Then, with the act operating in full, through the FRU, for a full year we can then see what it looks like. So, yes, we will review it. That is a perfectly sensible suggestion.
Are 14-year-olds responsible for the payment of their fines and penalties? Yes, they would be under this act. I will read some speaking notes into Hansard for the sake of the member of Nelson, seeing he raised this issue. Under the new scheme juveniles cannot be imprisoned for failure to pay a fine. However, all other enforcement measures under the scheme can be imposed on a juvenile. For example, licence/vehicle suspension - if they indeed have a licence, as you pointed out - and civil enforcement, community work orders. It would be expected, given the case management structure that is being introduced in this legislation, that the Fines Recovery Unit would certainly work with the extended family of those individuals as well as the individuals themselves. We would expect that families might well contribute to the payments in many circumstances but, really, the Fines Recovery Unit will be looking at the least traumatic of methods for juveniles to discharge these obligations. Nevertheless, the obligations are there by dint of their behaviour.
The impact on under-privileged indigenous areas of population: clearly, impoverished people will not have the means for many areas of this act to be applied to them. If they do not own a car or a house and, in many cases, do not hold a licence - these are major areas of enforcement - then really the major enforcement measure that is available under this act is the community work order. That would probably, in most cases, be pursued. Obviously, as people’s circumstances change - perhaps they get a job - and certainly if they are on welfare payments, then garnishee arrangements can be made in those circumstances. We do not see poverty in itself as being a reason to be put out of this scheme. It is simply that the means of discharging the obligation may have to be flexible. In a very small number of cases, there will be a back door to this to say: ‘It is simply not practical to pursue a fine, given the circumstances of the person’. They may be on a remote outstation or it might be impractical to apply any of the principles in the legislation. You would be talking about a very small percentage of people in that category, but we have to live with reality.
To look at the impact - this point has been made by earlier speakers, and I thank them for it - it seems paradoxical that we are bringing legislation in front of parliament which is aimed at greater enforcement of the law but, in fact, it will alleviate some of the unintended consequences of the law. If you look at the figures for the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 1999, 1826 indigenous people went to gaol for non-payment of fines and 390 non-indigenous people. You have over 2000 people who are in gaol simply because they could not pay a fine. In the period 1 January 1998 to 22 August 2001 - a slightly larger time period - 2620 indigenous people were put in gaol for non-payment of fines and 596 non-indigenous. You can see that the weight of the current situation is falling disproportionately on indigenous people, and the actual numbers that are in our gaols for fine default is extremely high.
I cannot see any logical argument as to why we would want to continue doing that, because gaol should be the harshest point of last resort for punishment of offenders in our community, not one that inadvertently becomes almost the first point of punishment simply because of the circumstances of the individual.
It does put on people in the Northern Territory the grim reality that if you are fined or issued a penalty, you will actually have to be it now because there will be someone from the Fines Recovery Unit actively working on a case-managed basis to call in on these fines. I will give some notes on debt recovery rates. The FRU, as I said earlier, will be a one-stop shop for all of the debt recovery across quite a wide range. If you look at the consequential amendments, this applies to probably 20 areas of our legislation - everything from brand offences to fisheries-related offences in the primary industry sector or amateur fishing through to the more common and better-known fines and penalty areas. We are using a very wide net to take the work of the Fines Recovery Unit into the community. We certainly believe that there will be an increased collection rate, and I would rather hope that there was, given that - in response to the question from the member for Macdonnell - we are owed $3m at the moment in fines and penalties. We believe that about $1m of that is recoverable. So, there is quite a high probability that the Fines Recovery Unit will return more money to government revenue than it will cost us in terms of the recovery process.
With the community work orders, the cooperation from the police in very remote areas is absolutely necessary. The member for Macdonnell asked ‘Are we going to use private bailiffs?’ Yes, that is embodied in the legislation and they will continue to be used at appropriate times during this process. But where it comes to issuing of warrants and proceeding into court proceedings leading to imprisonment at the very later stages, or the other areas that need to be handled by a court, there needs to be the continued involvement of our police force and other areas of the public service. This is a bit of a hybrid structure in that the Fines Recovery Unit will use the private sector where it is appropriate, but they will also need to be strongly drawing on the statutory powers of the police and other areas of the public sector.
Looking through some of the other points that were made, the question about standing warrants. There is a three month moratorium period, and that, certainly, will be used to try and clear a lot of those matters up. I think that has probably covered most of them.
I will finish my remarks at this stage by just foreshadowing that, again, I need to move an amendment during the committee stage. That was distributed earlier to the shadow and to the members as a whole. With those remarks, I will conclude the second reading debate.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Bill:
Clauses 1 to 105, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 106:
Dr TOYNE: Mr Chairman, I wish to move an amendment regarding clause 106. We invite defeat on the current clause 106. The amendment I am putting forward inserts a new clause 106 to further clarify the role of the Fines Recovery Unit in relation to ancillary money orders (AMOs). As originally drafted, clause 106 provided for the FRU to collect ancillary money orders but it did not provide for how the money was to be paid or allocated. This amendment addresses that omission.
Ancillary money orders are distinguished from fines, as they are orders in addition to sentencing orders made by a court in criminal proceedings - for example, awards of costs and restitution orders. These are generally amounts awarded in a third party’s favour, such as the victim of the crime. Clause 106 clarifies that:
- (a) that the Fines Recovery Unit can collect for any AMO not only AMOs payable to the Territory;
back to the appropriate person;
if any;
to the fine must be recovered civilly by the individual; and
This amendment makes it clear that the needs of individuals affected negatively by criminal justice systems such as victims are given some priority. Recently, it has been the case that many victims have found it difficult, if not impossible, to recover amounts owing under restitution orders made in their favour. The FRU will actively assist people to pay their debts. It can set up time to pay arrangements and automatic deductions from Centrelink. This will encourage and make it easier for more people to pay their fines, including restitution orders. By giving AMOs priorities over fines, it will provide a real incentive to the FRU to recover restitution orders and other AMOs.
Clause 106 negatived.
Proposed new clause 106 agreed to.
Remainder of the bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Fines and Penalties (Recovery) (Consequential Amendments) Bill:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bills reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General) Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
MOTOR VEHICLES AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 30)
(Serial 30)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Ms MARTIN (Treasurer)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
I advise that I will be seeking to have this bill passed through all stages on Wednesday 28 November 2001.
The purpose of the bill is to give effect to the Temporary Budget Improvement Levy which was one of the measures announced as part of the government’s mini-budget strategy to improve the financial condition of the Territory.
The bill introduces a temporary increase in passenger motor vehicle registration fees by way of an additional levy of $90 for annual registration, or a monthly pro rata amount for lesser registration periods. The levy is to apply to new registrations and renewal notices issued on or after 28 November 2001. Excluded from the levy are omnibuses and goods vehicles with greater than 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass as defined by the Australian Design Rules, heavy vehicles with greater than 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass as defined by the Australian Design Rules, and motor tractors, trailers, caravans and other miscellaneous vehicles.
Hardship relief is provided by way of a 50% reduction in the levy for holders of a Northern Territory Pensioner Concession card or a Commonwealth Health Care or Pensioner Concession cards. The concession is only available for one motor vehicle registered in the name of the card holder. Where a person cancels their registration prior to its expiry, a pro rata refund of the levy will be made on application to the Registrar.
The government recognises that the state of the Territory’s finances is a problem for all Territorians including the members of this place and government offices. Accordingly, members and government officers who have private use of a private-plated government motor vehicle under an employment contract or other arrangement will also be required to pay the levy in relation to their government-provided vehicles. The temporary nature of this measure has been entrenched into the bill by the insertion of a sunset clause that ensures that the levy only applies for a maximum of three years.
The reason for a broadly applied increase in motor vehicle registration fees is that existing taxes fall predominantly on business. An increase to another tax source would aggravate the effects of already high business taxes, weaken the Territory’s economic base, retard recovery and thus impact on jobs. The government is not prepared to risk further pressure on jobs.
The government is aware of the concern Territorians will have about the levy and other measures announced as part of this budget. Unfortunately, there is little choice. The Territory simply must reduce, then eliminate its fiscal deficit and the structural weakness in the Territory budget inherited from the former government. This measure is an important part of the mini-budget strategy which will prepare the Territory to share in the recovery of the Australian and international economies.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members.
Debate adjourned.
ADDRESS-IN-REPLY
Continued from 25 October 2001.
Mr REED (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I take this opportunity to contribute to the Address-In-Reply. In doing so, I express my appreciation to the electors in my electorate who have, for the fifth time, elected me as the member for Katherine. Again, for the fifth time, I say with some pride indeed that I was able to win every booth in that electorate on the occasion of the 2001 election notwithstanding that there were more contestants this time - a total of five. The achievement, of course, is not just due to me but very much due to those people, both within the Country Liberal Party branch in Katherine and other supporters who provided me with so much assistance not only during the election campaign and on election day, but over the last four years of the last parliamentary term.
Also, my Electorate Officer, Lorna Hart, and most particularly, my family, I am pleased to say that I have had their support very strongly and all of them work hard to assist me. My wife, in particular, and also my children - my eldest boy, Stephen, my daughter Megan, and the youngest Reed kid, David. It is to their efforts and those of my helpers that I am indebted for the assistance that they provide.
The election outcome is a practicality in terms of recognising the result. Twenty-seven odd years of the CLP government had to come to an end at some time. I can look back as a participant over the last 14 or so years - from March 1987 when I was first elected - as being involved in much of that time with the development of the Northern Territory. I have had an opportunity as a minister since 1988 to participate in that and to contribute to it significantly. Indeed, I am able to now take some pride that but for the initiatives that were started by the CLP government during the last term of parliament, this Labor government today would have nothing to crow about in terms of what’s being done.
Every success that they are claiming was commenced by a CLP government, even to the extent of one of their major initiatives today in their mini-budget being the QuickStart home program which, of course, they did not even change one little bit. Didn’t tweak it here, fine tune it at all. If there is any better indication of the success of the CLP government - I cannot think of one just at the moment - but it is a demonstration of just how the Labor government lacks innovation, lacks the capacity to be able to come forward with their own programs and to be able to govern in the best sense.
In terms of the other outcome of the election, in that regard, we see now not only the largest, but the most experienced opposition that this parliament has seen. Over the course of this parliamentary term, we will see the benefits of that accrue to Territorians in terms of an improved democratic process, and an opposition that keeps this Labor government on its toes and performing, although that’s proving somewhat difficult in terms of getting them to do something at the present.
I want, in particular, to express my thanks to the heads of departments for whom I was responsible during the last term of parliament. In particular, the head of Treasury, the Under Treasurer, Ken Clarke, and all of the Treasury staff; the Police Commissioner, with my responsibilities as Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services; the head of the Tourist Commission, Tony Mayell, and his staff; in terms of the Parks and Wildlife Commission, Bill Freeland and the staff who provide the services across the Northern Territory in the excellent way that they do; and, our Commissioner for Public Employment, David Hawkes, who is soon to retire. All of those people and their staff, the police officers of the service, and Fire and Emergency Services who work so hard to ensure that Territorians are safe, both individually and in terms of their property, I express my thanks, too. Likewise, for those who went before them, in terms of other ministries that I held as a minister in former CLP governments.
I also want to thank the Tourist Commission Board who provide the guidance and direction for the excellent work done by the Tourist Commission in the form of developing programs and strategies to ensure that our tourism industry remains a viable and active one, and that we attract more visitors to the Northern Territory. I want to also thank the Parks and Wildlife Commission Board who guide that organisation in terms of their policy development, and to make sure that the commission provides the services that Territorians expect. Also, the Bushfires Council who, this year in particular, have been exceedingly busy as regards the demands that have been placed upon them across the Northern Territory with the very heavy fire season.
I take this opportunity to very warmly thank all of those people for their contribution, their support and assistance in making my job then, as a minister, much easier than it otherwise might have been.
The government has recently completed its first 100 days. Understandably, they have had some difficulties in adjusting to their new role. I do not think that has been particularly helped by their dependence on interstate help. One of the hallmarks of the Northern Territory is that we are a very independent group of people. We have developed in that way for many and varied reasons.
It is a great shame that we have seen that independence and the capacity of Territorians to ensure that governments are reflecting the needs of Territorians, that they have been ditched in favour of people from elsewhere in Australia notwithstanding, I guess, that they would be doing their best and working hard to achieve in the roles that they are playing. But the fact is that we do have the expertise in the Northern Territory to be able to fill all of those positions. The Territory does not have to rely on interstate consultants. We do not have to rely on the Percy Allans or the whoever elses. We have the expertise in our own Treasury and elsewhere in the Northern Territory in the private sector to be able to provide those services and consultancy arrangements. It is a great shame that the Labor Party found it unpalatable for them to use local expertise and they have had to rely on interstate imports. That is a sad reflection on their trust of Territorians. It does not auger well for the future of the Territory.
The Labor government’s priorities are overshadowed by their dependence on interstate advice. Of course, it is principally driven by their national political party, the federal ALP. The black hole theory was a direct lift from the Western Australian government and it is something that they have been using. They used the very same reasons all the way through in the Northern Territory as did the newly-elected Labor government in WA in relation to black holes and need to introduce new taxes and blame everyone else except taking any blame for themselves, of course.
They are all intertwined in the lack of trust that this current government has in Territorians. It has got them nowhere, sadly. There is enormous uncertainty and a crisis of confidence in the private sector across the Northern Territory. The wind down in government activity - we’ve seen a demonstration today where contractors are not getting the work that they were 12 months ago under a CLP government. The initiatives, few as they were, that were introduced in the mini-budget today will not take effect until February unless, of course, it is getting into the pockets of Territorians. That legislation is going to be rushed through, the money-grabbing is going to happen immediately. But, of course, the benefits in terms of government expenditure will not occur until next year. Those extra costs will meet the inflated promises that Labor made.
We are going to see also, in this term of parliament, somewhat of a standardising of the Northern Territory. There are a few examples of that. We have seen the introduction of a 100 km speed limit on the Lasseter Highway. That is, obviously, going to extend on to other main roads in the Northern Territory, something that won’t be welcomed. But this government is not showing any signs of standing up for the rights of Territorians. We have seen the advice from an interstate consultant, where the very effective public service structure has now been dismantled and mega departments formed, which will depersonalise service in the Northern Territory. It will isolate those industry departments from the particular industries that they serve. It will also isolate the community service departments from the community organisations that they serve. It will not do anything to promote morale and goodwill in the public service. I think it is a great shame to see those factors being lost to us.
But they are typically Labor approaches. Their social leanings that will be promoted …
Dr Burns: Reds under the bed.
Mr REED: No, no. Pay attention. Social leanings in terms of the services you are providing, not your politics. That is reflected by the fact that, in the Chief Minister’s address in this debate, she did not mention the single biggest income earning industry once in her contribution - that is the resources industry - but focussed on those social areas. That is where the focus is going to be. It is a great shame that that was reflected again today in the mini-budget.
The circumstances are not improving in terms of generating additional confidence in the community, and the position that we are going to see develop in relation to a very much increased focus on social services, as opposed to providing an impetus for the economy and job creation. One of the areas of concern that I also have is the politicisation of the public service, the priorities that are left in that regard ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: The Chief Minister laughs, but I do remind her of the performance we saw in the Assembly last time where the minister for health tabled a document from the CEO of Territory Health Services. It was very evident in that, that it was at the request of the minister that the CEO was asked to make political comments. Whether or not he knew what the consequences would be, who knows? But it is an indication of how this Labor government is prepared to politicise the public service and to be able to use people for their own political ends. I think that is a great shame. It doesn’t auger well for the public service.
There was another example of it. It is interesting to note, now that Mr Bob Collins has been appointed as virtually a CEO by this government in relation to the Territory development programs that he will be directing…
Ms Martin: He’s part-time. He’s an Ambassador. Get a grip!
Mr REED: I pick up the interjection. I suspect that he is part-time, but he is not doing it for nothing. Is he on the payroll or not?
Ms Martin: He is being paid. Of course, he is being paid.
Mr REED: He’s on the payroll, thank you. Well, that is all I wanted to know. He is on the payroll and as such, being on the payroll, paid for by the Territory taxpayer. In that regard, reflecting the attitude of this government in politicising the public service, it is worthy to consider their approach to these matters, in relation to the opening of this parliament and the comments from the floor that Mr Collins made. I thought for a former member of this House, a former Senator and minister in the federal government, for him to interject from the floor was a most inappropriate action.
For him, as a paid person - if only part-time, but not withstanding that – with taxpayers money in the current role that he plays, I would like to think that the Chief Minister would be speaking to him about whether or not in that role it is appropriate for him to continue to make public comments of a political kind in relation to the radio interviews that he frequently undertakes and the political comment that he makes. There is an issue to consider here in relation to a person being paid and making the sorts of comments that he does, and the appropriateness of that action, given that he is paid for by the taxpayer.
Those last few points reflect the attitude of this government. They were further reflected, in fact, in the structure of this parliament that was introduced by this Labor government. We are indebted to you, Madam Speaker, for seeing some of that corrected. From the point of view of the ministerial reports that this open, honest and accountable government introduced, nowhere else in Australia does a circumstance of that kind exist that this government introduced. It must have given you great cause for concern - and I daresay the Clerk - in considering that and programming the parliamentary schedule in the way that this government wanted to proceed and, in fact, did proceed.
That is a demonstration which is of great concern at this early stage of the new government, and it paints a picture of what levels of arrogance it is going to achieve over the next four years if it can achieve that within the first few weeks of its government life.
In terms of the House, I would like to think that there will be improved opportunities for more open debate. The fact that Question Time has been moved to the afternoon has not assisted the media, and they will recognise that, in fact, already are in terms of the progamming and the work that they have to do to be able to get television footage, get it to air and the news bulletins organised. It is simply a means of a scared government trying to manipulate the parliamentary process, where the information is held back in order that the performance of ministers in this House is held from the public.
In terms of the performance of ministers, I will make a prediction that this government will not be able to sustain a ministry of seven. It is just nonsensical - you might squeeze away with eight. I speak with some experience in this regard about workloads and the ability to be able to liaise with industry in an effective way. I predict that, at some time, the government has to go to a ministry of at least eight, perhaps nine. Do not be afraid of doing it, I would say to the Chief Minister, because it is inevitable if you are to have an effective government. It would be much better in terms of the Territory, the servicing of industry and community organisations, from the point of view of a ministry.
I speak already of complaints from constituents who are seeking appointments with ministers, one of whom was told that he can have an appointment in February after great difficulty in even getting a response from the minister’s office. That is but one example that is coming from the public and, particularly, the business community. If that is a reflection on the performance of this government, then the Territory has a lot to be concerned about. I would ask the Chief Minister to put aside any concerns she might have about having to step aside from an announced policy of a ministry of seven and be appropriate about it in terms of workload and responses to the community.
Madam Speaker, with those comments, I close my contribution to the Address-In-Reply for this parliamentary term.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, it does give me great pleasure to reflect on the opening of the parliament on Tuesday 16 October, unlike the member for Katherine, who did not seem to give great pleasure in any aspect of what's happened over the last three months.
For my family and myself, it was a very rewarding day, and for Labor supporters it was an emotional sitting of parliament and a day that, for so many years, they had waited for and I am sure won’t forget.
More importantly, people returned to the parliament, and didn’t they return in numbers? Territorians filled the House and, along with most of you here today, created history and witnessed history and were part of a special day for the Territory. I hope we can maintain some of that interest over coming years and bring back people to witness the process of parliament.
I would like to pass on my appreciation to all members who contributed to the Address-In-Reply. No one could forget the member for Arafura’s emotional address or the number of nudes encountered by the member for Nightcliff, which gained her some amazing level of national and, I think, international attention.
I thank everyone for their efforts on that day and in the days that followed. I do thank the members of the opposition, although it would have been nice to have a more positive contribution. I think the one we just heard from the member for Katherine indicates a …
Dr Toyne: Dog in the manger.
Ms MARTIN: I thank the member for Stuart - a dog in the manger attitude.
I note today that the Leader of the Opposition promised, at the time of his Address-In-Reply, that the CLP or the opposition would not be whingeing and whining in opposition. I place on record that I hope he and his party do a better job of following that promise more closely in future, and that bipartisan support is possible on projects important to the Territory.
I raised the point today that we have a budget situation that is unsustainable. We are addressing that, and rather than hear the sniping that is coming from the opposition, why not join us in a bipartisan way and say: ‘Yes, we are tackling it together’? But I suppose that that was too much to hope for.
I noted the Leader of the Opposition’s comments in his speech, wishing the best to the member for Wanguri in his task of bringing gas onshore. He said at the time that we face difficulties but it is not a time for criticism, but a time to get on with it. I hope that the Opposition Leader and the rest of the opposition does follow those words and support this government. It is not about this government though, it is about the Territory, getting gas to the beach here in Darwin. It does hold such hope for our future, getting gas on the beach. The possibilities that it holds for industrial development are enormous. We are working very hard, but we would like to think that this is a bipartisan effort. You certainly will not hear us sniping at the opposition about this.
One of the truly memorable parts of that first sitting of parliament was that it symbolised how much we have renewed the relationship with East Timor. It was great to have Chief Minister Designate, Dr Mari Alkatiri, here for those first sittings. I think he will carry away with him the cheer that he got when he was recognised. Certainly, we are very proud of our newest nation neighbour and will work closely with them in everything that does touch both of us. That relationship, obvious at that time, has certainly been nurtured over the last couple of months.
Today marks three months to the day since this new government was sworn into office. We have not done 100 days in office yet, but we have certainly done three months. It is good to note, since I made that Address-In-Reply speech, what this government has done. There are some things that I would like to point to. We did, in that first sitting of parliament, introduce our six-point property crime plan and the legislation underpinning that, and we did repeal the ineffective mandatory sentencing. We introduced, in that same session of parliament, draft Freedom of Information laws, and they will be out for community comment over the next few months. We have begun a review of parliamentary procedures so that we can make parliament more reflective of the important aspects of what we do in here, and that is legislation. I think that is already established - we have worked with our parliamentary reports and, certainly, as the Leader of Government Business indicated this morning, we are very happy to keep working with those reports so that we do have an effective part of this parliamentary process. We have improved the structure and the workability of government agencies, and I am certainly very proud of what we have done over the last few weeks in doing that.
We have opened parliament to the media, allowing the filming of Question Time. It was curious that the member for Katherine seemed to think that we are closing down on what parliament is doing. I would have thought allowing cameras in here to film Question Time is certainly opening up parliament to Territorians. I hope that the filming of Question Time will encourage Territorians to come and be part of the parliamentary process and while we are sitting, to join us in here.
Another significant milestone for this government occurred here in parliament in the days following my Address-In-Reply speech, with this government offering an apology to the Stolen Generation. I believe and hope that that day will serve as a milestone for race relations in the Territory. I was proud to apologise on behalf of this government, and enjoyed the full support of my Labor colleagues. I think anyone sitting in the House on that day, with the galleries full of those who were affected by those Stolen Generation policies would appreciate how important a day that was. I think some of the speeches we will remember for many years to come. I pay particular tribute to the member for Arafura and, certainly, the members for Millner and Barkly whose speeches really made an impact on this House, and on this side of the House particularly. It was important to acknowledge the injustices perpetrated against the first Australians. To this day, I certainly remain disappointed that the opposition did not support our sorry motion. I think that we saw that in those who came here in the House for that important day, that that lack of support will be remembered.
This Chamber, since that Address-In-Reply, has also served an important purpose, earlier this month hosting the Economic Development Summit. The summit attracted business leaders and community leaders from right around the Territory and resulted in a communiqu on how to rejuvenate the Territory economy. The mini-budget that we have seen in here today has certainly recognised the importance of that economic summit. I believe the summit created a link between business, the non-government sector, the community sector and this government, and will result in an ongoing partnership between private and public sectors which are crucial to the development of the Territory. The summit highlighted problems but then moved forward on ways to address them. One of the most significant parts of the summit was the fact that all participants at the summit recognised the importance of indigenous economic development. The Communiqu certainly did that. We had major players in indigenous and non-indigenous development in the Territory actually communicating, many of them for the first time.
As I did during my Address-In-Reply speech, I would like to express my thanks to the Territory’s public service. The professional and constant support this government has received has been greatly appreciated. The public service has adapted to a change in administration and, I am sure, will adjust to any future changes. One of this government’s initiatives has been the restructure of the public service from 35 agencies to 18, and I acknowledge the contribution and the constructive support and comments from the people this touches most, our public sector employees. I believe the public sector restructure will create a more efficient, effective and enjoyable workplace for the Territory’s almost 14 500 public servants. With their support, this will succeed in resulting better service delivery to customers and employment opportunities for staff.
I would like to place on the record my thanks to those public servants who assisted with this process of the restructure. It was done in the most professional and efficient manner, and I think that the information delivered to public servants on the day of the restructure - what was there on the Intranet and the letters that went to public servants - paved the way for the success that restructure has been. I know from many public servants, it simply represents a change of agency name but there are some who will have to move their offices. We are hoping this will be somewhere between 100 and 200, so a very minimal disruption. The information that all public servants received certainly meant that they were able to understand the rationale for the restructure. The feedback has been extraordinarily positive - a very tiny per cent of negative feedback.
Finally, with much talk of budgets and economic uncertainty in the Territory’s future, it was with great pleasure that earlier this month I attended the arrival of the first rail in Alice Springs from Whyalla. Two thousand tonnes of steel arrived at Roe Creek and was loaded onto specially-designed road trains bound for Tennant Creek and Katherine, the first of 145 000 tonnes of steel that will be arriving in the coming months. Importantly, more than 500 people are now employed on the Alice Springs to Darwin railway, including many indigenous Territorians, and that work is now gathering momentum. We will see a lull during the Wet Season and work will really start to gather momentum from next April when the tracks begin to get laid. Hundreds of kilometres of land have been cleared and the embankment built up. Before too long that track will start to be laid and it will be a very exciting time for the Territory. In this talk of difficult economic times, the railway is a very strong sign of the hope for the future and it certainly highlights the potential that is here in the Territory.
This government faces many more challenges in the future, delivering on that potential. We are likely to face a tough economic environment over the next 18 months. Today, I again confirm our commitment to the Territory and the hard work ahead. I thank everyone in this House for their contribution to this Address-In-Reply. It is an important moment for this parliament. It is an important moment for this new Labor government after nearly 27 years of the previous administration. Listening to those speeches right around the House, there was a sense of excitement about the next four years certainly reflected by government members. I wish everyone well. I hope our deliberations will be constructive and this will truly be the Territory’s foremost debating Chamber where legislation will have the highest priority and bipartisanship and partnerships will be something that the next four years will be remembered for.
Motion agreed to; report adopted.
PRESENTATION OF
ADDRESS-IN-REPLY TO
HIS HONOUR THE ADMINISTRATOR
ADDRESS-IN-REPLY TO
HIS HONOUR THE ADMINISTRATOR
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, it is my intention to present the Address-In-Reply to His Honour the Administrator, at approximately 11.30 am tomorrow, Wednesday 28 November. I invite all members to accompany me to Government House to present the address. I think you have a notice of that already in your papers.
SMALL CLAIMS AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 11)
LOCAL COURT AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 12)
(Serial 11)
LOCAL COURT AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 12)
Continued from 18 October 2001.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Madam Speaker, the second reading speech which the Attorney-General dutifully read out seems fairly straightforward on the face of the document. However, I have examined the bill and there are a number of observations I wish to draw to the Chamber’s attention.
In summary, there is a concern in relation to the proposed section 32, that is the scope of appeals which are allowed after the final order of a magistrate and secondly, the res judicata provision contained in section 19. I will deal with them separately. These are probably matters that I can ask very specific questions of the Attorney-General when we go into committee. He can walk through the legislation and explain what he means when he uses some of the terms contained in that document.
By way of background, honourable members will be aware that the Small Claims Court is the people’s court and citizens are entitled to go before that court, whether it is constituted by a magistrate or a registrar, and have disputes on issues that have to be determined before a hearing resolved one way or the other. I accept that there is currently some ambiguity about where an appeal exactly lies to, that is, either to a single judge in the Supreme Court or magistrate. That is the purpose of this proposed bill, to remedy that ambiguity.
An appeal from, for example, the Local Court which is constituted by a single magistrate can be on a number of grounds and they are clearly set out in the Local Court Act. Section 32 of this proposed bill attempts to set out clearly the restrictions or constraints which parliament sees fit to impose on an appeal from a magistrate to a single judge of the Supreme Court. Perhaps I can draw the Attorney-General’s attention specifically to section 32. Applying a literal interpretation - and I know that it is a lot - clearly there are two limbs and it says:
(1) A party to the proceedings may appeal to the Supreme Court on one or both of the
following grounds:
(a) that an order made in those proceedings by a magistrate is wrong on
a question of law.
That is the classic error of law ground. Whilst I am not completely satisfied with the use of the word ‘wrong’ in this context, I will concede of course that the act is designed to be written in plain English. But the second limb is the difficulty.
The second limb, if an aggrieved party wishes to rely upon, enables them to appeal to the Supreme Court that the conduct of the proceedings was unfair. In my view, that is no limitation whatsoever. It is treating the decision of the magistrate as a preliminary decision. There is no finality to the proceedings if I, once my matter has been heard and determined by a magistrate, can turn around and say: ‘Look, I think I was treated unfairly because my witnesses weren’t believed and the other guy’s were’. Then you are cast into the arena of having to fund an appeal to the Supreme Court. In my view, the use of the separate disjunctive limb that the conduct of the proceedings was unfair is no limitation and does not prevent anybody appealing on any ground which they, in their subjective opinion, see fit.
The other matter I wish to raise is that I was aware, of course, that the provisions contained in the old section 19 had created some difficulties. That is the res judicata provisions when a decision has been made in the Small Claims Court then, in certain situations subject to this act, that is a final decision and the parties are bound by that decision. In other words, you can’t go off and commence litigation. You are dealing with the same set of facts when you have had the matter heard and determined by a magistrate unless you exercise your rights of appeal pursuant to the Small Claims Act.
I am concerned by the use of the phrase ‘(whether under this act or any other law)’ not only from a drafting perspective through the use of brackets, but also I am interested to know what the Attorney-General understands the effect that the legislation will have and whether he thinks it is going to have any effect on, for example, proceedings under a Commonwealth act
Dr Toyne: Could you locate that in the bill for us just so we know where you are referring to?
Mr MALEY: In the bill it is section 4. It is the new section 19:
Repeal and Substitution
Sections 19 and 20 of the Principal Act are repealed and the following substituted: …
The top of page 2 contains that specific quote.
Dr Toyne: Yes, got it.
Mr MALEY: Subject to a satisfactory explanation being provided by the Attorney-General in the committee stage, the opposition at this stage cannot support the bill in its current form.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Madam Speaker, as the Attorney-General has just stated, the purpose of these bills is to clarify that appeals from decisions of the Registrar in small claims proceedings including final decisions go to a magistrate and not to the Supreme Court under section 19 of the Local Court Act. This will have a number of effects on parties involved in small claims matters which will be of great benefit to parties involved. It will allow parties to appeal a decision and continue proceedings in the magistrate’s court. The nature of the small claims is for the matter to be heard in circumstances where both parties are satisfied that they will receive a just hearing while ensuring that the cost of proceedings will be contained.
It will assist in creating an appeal structure for small claims matters in the Small Claims Act. It will also allow decisions of magistrates to be heard by Supreme Court judges on appeal. This will simplify matters for parties in small claims matters and achieve the objective of containing the costs of both parties. The amendment bill introduced today is a commonsense approach to dealing with small claims matters. It shows the government is working towards solving real problems that people face within their communities.
The last matter I would like to address in regards to the Small Claims Amendment Bill is section 20 which pertains to a matter of particular importance for parties involved in small claims. That is the right of a party to apply for a re-hearing. This is of particular importance to parties who maintain English as a second language. Although section 20 covers a number of scenarios, it is my experience that parties to proceedings who maintain English as a second language do, on occasions, fail to file a Notice of Defence or to appear due to their limited understanding of court proceedings.
The fact that English is a second language often lead some people into matters that result in small claims actions through no fault of their own. I believe that the amendments being debated today show a commonsense approach to law reform with the view to maintaining fairness and cost effectiveness for all Territorians.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I am quite happy to deal with the shadow’s points as we go into committee. At this stage, I want to reiterate that the intent of the two bills we have before us is to provide a simple sequence of hearings by which small claims can be determined.
We will deal with the points that are of a more definitional matter in committee. I take your position as stated at this stage, and let us go into committee and see what you want to do.
Motion agreed to; bills read a second time.
In committee:
Small Claims Amendment Bill:
Clauses 2 and 3, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 4:
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, can you explain to this Chamber the rationale behind the proposed section 19, and why you didn’t instruct your counsel to have two subsections which would avoid the use of those brackets and make the intention of the legislation clearer?
Dr TOYNE: Yes. My information is that this part of the bill was requested directly by the Chief Magistrate. He wanted the bill to make it very clear, by retaining that statement in section 19, that the parties cannot commence another action for the same cause either under the Small Claims Act or Local Court Act. It basically confines the action to the jurisdiction until such time as the grounds of an appeal are settled.
Section 19 stated that the judgment is final and conclusive and could not start another proceeding - this was in the original act. It was felt that there wasn’t enough certainty that the jurisdiction hearing the matter could retain the statement with that wording in the act. The bill actually makes that distinction: that it has to be not only retained in that jurisdiction, but can’t be restarted in another one while at that stage of the process.
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, I don’t have a copy of the old provision before me. I understand the difficulty which the Chief Magistrate said that he was labouring under. I do not understand why you could not more clearly and concisely have another subsection under section 19 which would state categorically - and there being no ambiguity at all - that it is not capable of recommencing proceedings in another court dealing with the same set of facts. I am just concerned about your use of the brackets here which is something I am informed parliamentary draftsmen try to avoid at all costs.
Dr TOYNE: Just to throw further light on it, I will read from my committee notes here, too, to give you what I have been provided with in the way of a written briefing.
The new section 19 omits the words that ‘a judgment of the court is final and conclusive’ while retaining the statement to the effect that if the court makes a final order in proceedings, a party may not commence or continue any other proceedings in any court for the same cause or matter. So that is what is being conveyed in the draft bill that we are debating today.
I want to break away to make a more broad statement about our relationship. I made it pretty clear in the last sittings that if you have concerns about bills that are going through parliament, I am very pleased to take away suggested amendments in writing and have them assessed and make changes to the legislation. If you want to take that offer up - which I made very clearly in the last sittings - rather than bringing in last minute and verbal objections to a bill at the time we are debating it - it is simply not possible to go through a redrafting process if you are bringing up matters in this way. I am quite happy to work in a collaborative way on legitimate things that you want to bring up in terms of drafted legislation.
You could actually change bills that we put through this parliament. I give you the undertaking that if there is a legitimate amendment brought up that we can assess, go to the Parliamentary Counsel, adjust the bill if it is a valid point, you can actually have that influence on the legislation. By choosing to go through the process as you are doing today and as you did in the last sittings, it makes it almost impossible for us to make adjustments.
Mr MALEY: I wish to make some general observations directed to the Attorney-General. You are the Attorney-General. This is your legislation. I am quite entitled to ask you to explain why you have drafted a particular provision in a particular way. You instruct counsel to draft this, no one else does. It is your responsibility. This is a slightly different scenario with this particular act because I have had it for a month or so. But the last legislation we dealt with a month or so ago, they were all matters dealt with on urgency and there were matters that were of real concern in that legislation. There simply was not enough time to forward the appropriate correspondence to you and then for you to get the advice from your counsel.
So any comfort you think you are going to get by saying that it is more appropriate that I direct my concerns in writing to you in relation to the matters you pass through on urgency are really going to fall upon deaf ears. You should have a close look and a long think about what you are saying. I have nothing further to say in respect of section 19.
Dr TOYNE: I have one thing further to say about this. This bill is not being done on urgency. You have been aware of it for quite some time. You have had the offer, an open offer, to get a briefing at any time from the policy division that has developed this legislation. I believe that if you are going to do your job properly, you need to avail yourself of those mechanisms and bring back written amendments to us that we can properly evaluate.
Further to the point about the brackets, they are not unusual for Parliamentary Counsel to use, a useful drafting technique if you want to embody an additional idea within a sentence within the bill. What we are looking at here is wording and grammar and punctuation. The Parliamentary Counsel does not act alone. They seek advice on the intent of the wording that has been put into bills. I have to take it that that advice has been given properly to the Parliamentary Counsel and that the bills that I receive are grammatically, and in the verbiage of the bill, transmitting the meaning that is intended to go into the law. Now, as I said, human beings are fallible. You may well bring up some matters that we can have a look at to see if there is a valid way of changing the drafted intention.
I am making that offer to you. I am not going to sit here and discuss the dictionary definitions and the grammatical forms without any expert advice available to me and with no possibility of redrafting the bill on the spot.
Mr MALEY: You are the Attorney-General for the Northern Territory. You are the number one law man. You cannot pass the buck. Nothing I have said should be taken, in any way, to reflect badly upon counsel or any legal practitioners. My comments are directed to you. You are responsible; you have to take responsibility. If you are not across your brief to check these things then perhaps you should consider talking to some of your colleagues who are qualified, or taking some advice and listening to that advice.
I can put this on the record: I am going to continue to have a close look at things and if I think there is an ambiguity, I am going to walk you through every piece of legislation, no matter how long it takes. If I think there is something which is worthy of an amendment, then I will - and you will probably recall, the opposition do have limited resources - if it is of substance and I have the time, of course, I will instruct counsel and present an amendment. But for the purposes of walking you through your legislation which you instructed your counsel to prepare, do not be under any misapprehension this will occur. I will look closely at anything that you table in this parliament.
Dr TOYNE: I have to say again by all means, let us go through this meticulously, but let us use a process that can actually have benefit to the legislation. That is what I am saying. You have had several weeks on this bill. You have had plenty of opportunities to come to us with suggestions for written changes to the bill. I am quite happy to go through as much detail as you like. In fact, I have a similar reputation in this House for being pretty meticulous and thorough about bringing the matters that I have carriage of bringing in to this Chamber. My colleagues can certainly attest to that. I am not talking about your right to go over the proposals in these bills. What I am talking about is that there is a creative, constructive way of doing that, and that is what I am commending to you.
I am certainly giving you an undertaking that on my part, I will respond positively to any written amendments that could improve the bills that are going before this House. That is all I am saying. I am not denying either your right to raise matters or the right to debate in this House. I am actually giving you an opportunity to influence the legislation.
Clause 4 agreed to.
Clause 5 agreed to.
Clause 6:
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, if the decision of a magistrate in the Small Claims Court is subject to the type of appeals which you have foreshadowed in section 32, that is, the conduct of the proceedings was unfair, don’t you agree that would make his decision nothing more than a preliminary determination subject to appeal by anything an aggrieved party can reduce to writing? Do you understand the nature of my query?
Dr Toyne: Yes, I do.
Mr MALEY: You have here that if I am upset with what occurs in the Small Claims Court, then section 32(1)(b) says that I can appeal to the Supreme Court if I think the conduct of the proceedings was unfair. So, I am involved in a dispute with you and for whatever reason, something goes against me. I just say: ‘Look, that’s unfair’ and suddenly both you and I are in the Supreme Court which involves, of course, legal costs, rules and time and expense. If you are going to have a provision which dictates in what circumstances you can appeal, then normally you would think there should be some sort of limitation on the number of appeals, or the type of appeals which can come from a court.
Dr TOYNE: You are referring to the use of subsection (b) of section 32, that the conduct of the proceedings are unfair, which you raised in the earlier part of the debate. Perhaps I can reassure you that in the Local Court Act - which is the other principal act that we are dealing with - on page 8, section 19(4)(b) are exactly those words: ‘the conduct of the proceedings was unfair’. This is extant law. It has been used in our Local Court system for some time. If the concerns that you have are that we are going to create some new status in the judgments of the Local Court, then I would have thought we would have seen a major problem in that area beforehand. That certainly was not pointed out to us during the consultation process that preceded the drafting.
There are other constraints. In terms of will someone push a matter up to the Supreme Court? Yes, they have the capacity to do that but it does cost a lot of money. It takes a lot of time out of your life and potentially, you could end up further behind than when you started. People make these judgments all the time about how far to pursue their interests through the legal process. I can only say that it was not identified as a major problem in moving into the drafting of this bill.
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, I accept that section 19 of the Local Court Act reflects a similar provision. You have just copied that and whacked it straight in here. I want to make it clear that you understand what this provision means. Another example is that the first limb says that an order made in those proceedings by a magistrate ‘is wrong on a question of law’. You are talking about the decision of a member of the judiciary and describing it as wrong. Isn’t the normal terminology - and certainly in more recent acts of parliament, the reference is to ‘an error of law’. You have just adopted, wholus-bolus and put it in its unchanged form in section 32. Do you think that the use of the word ‘wrong’ in describing a decision made by a magistrate is appropriate?
Dr TOYNE: I can only ask what word are you suggesting we use?
Mr MALEY: Normally, you would say he has made a mistake or an error of law. Magistrates make errors; they are not wrong. You do not describe the decision made by a judicial officer as wrong. There can be errors and there are more appropriate ways to reflect. I know what you are trying to say; you have just said it very clumsily.
Dr TOYNE: When I grew up and went to school, in error or making an error is the same as being wrong. I think that if the word conveys the concept that we are trying to get into the legislation, let it convey it. I am happy with ‘wrong’, quite frankly. As an academic, I think that very much conveys the grounds for which an appeal could be pursued. The magistrate got it wrong, big deal. It just says that like any other human being, there is a fallibility there.
Mr ELFERINK: The Attorney-General, I am sure, would be in a position to describe to the House that it is possible to err in law, as well as in fact, and that they are two separate ideas.
Dr TOYNE: I did not catch that, sorry, member for Macdonnell.
Mr ELFERINK: The Attorney-General would, of course, be able to describe to this House a situation where it is possible to err in law as well as it is possible to err in fact. Could he, with that in mind, outline to us whether we are talking about wrong on a question of law, or wrong in terms of the facts alone? It deals with ‘wrong in a question of law’.
Dr TOYNE: I think it is clear in the bill. It says it is considered that he may have been wrong on a question of law, not on fact. The words are there.
Mr MALEY: Attorney-General, I want to make it clear. You have turned your mind to using other terminology such as ‘error of law’. Despite the remonstrations from the opposition that it is discourteous to describe the decision of a magistrate as merely wrong, you are saying that you are happy with the current drafting, and you are not going to consider reviewing that decision. Is that what you are saying?
Dr TOYNE: I am saying that to me, you are not raising an issue at all. I think it is plain English. That the basis of the appeal is that someone believes that the magistrate has been wrong on a question of law. That is what the words say. I am quite happy with them. I do not see that as any more insulting than saying the magistrate is in error. In fact, I do not find either construction particularly insulting. It simply says that there would not be an appeal process if it was assumed that the magistrate could never be wrong or in error. But there is an appeal process. It assumes that courts occasionally - and I think it is occasional - get judgements wrong and that there needs to be the process of an appeal. That is all this is setting up.
Clause 6 agreed to.
Clauses 7 and 8 agreed to.
Clause 1 agreed to.
Title agreed to.
Local Court Amendment Bill:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bills reported; report adopted.
Dr TOYNE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Aviation Industry Update
Aviation Industry Update
Mr HENDERSON (Tourism): Madam Speaker, this afternoon I rise to make a statement on the current state of the aviation industry in the Northern Territory, in particular to update Territorians and honourable members concerning developments since the October sittings. In essence, air services break down the tyranny of distance and isolation factors that all Territorians face on a daily basis. It is also the mode of transport that brings so many tourists from all parts of the world to experience the joys of the Territory and our treasured lifestyle at first hand.
During the October sittings, my predecessor as Minister for Tourism, the member for Nhulunbuy, informed the Assembly and Territorians of the decisive and extremely effective actions taken by this government to counter the collapse of Ansett and its impact on tourism in the Northern Territory. I remind honourable members that Ansett previously provided 43% of the domestic passenger capacity for the Territory, and provided a number of services to regional centres such as Gove and Groote Eylandt through air service providers Airnorth and Flight West. Ansett Australia Cargo consigned between 60% and 80% of air-freighted perishable goods destined for the domestic market.
Now, some 10 weeks after Ansett ceased serving the Territory, I can report that air services are beginning to meet demand in the market place. If we compare the demand for passenger seats last year to the number of seats available now, Darwin has seen a full reinstatement of direct interstate passenger capacity; Alice Springs will have approximately 95% of capacity compared with its December 2000 demand in December this year; Ayers Rock is close to 95% of capacity; and Gove has approximately 90%. The Gove statistics were worrying for residents, Gove businesses, this government and, in particular, the member for Nhulunbuy. We have worked hard to resolve the matter and we were extremely pleased when Airnorth commenced daily services to Gove and then through to Cairns at the end of October.
Unfortunately, the Gove to Cairns sector has suffered unsustainable low passenger loads. Only two passengers flew over this sector between 26 October and 12 November, and only one passenger flew on the reverse journey. It seems that the passenger demand is being met by capacity available on QantasLink. The Airnorth Gove-Cairns service will be withdrawn effective 2 December. However, Airnorth will still operate four weekly services between Darwin and Gove. I believe that the Airnorth experience has justified this government’s decision to ask that a route have proven demand and demonstrated commercial viability before committing substantial funds to service the operation. The government had been approached by several parties wanting to engage higher cost airlines than Airnorth on the Gove-Cairns route. No detailed business proposal to justify such expenditure has ever been put to this government.
It is unlikely that we will see Ansett #2 operate in the Territory until the sale of Ansett has been completed. It is encouraging to see that we are approaching that point now. It is disappointing for all of us, particularly for the staff of Ansett who had submitted a proposal to the Administrator that would have seen Ansett return to the Territory albeit on a reduced schedule. The situation with regard to the sale or otherwise of Ansett remains extremely fluid, but I think we are getting there.
The Territory government is supporting Ansett employees, through the Employee Assistance Service, in retraining and skills identification to enable them to gain further meaningful employment. The best result, of course, would be if these employees could get their jobs back with whoever ends up running Ansett #2. However, in the absence of any settlement of this issue we can only encourage the federal government to make good on their promise to look after the Ansett workers and their families who have been caught up in this tragic corporate failure.
Virgin Blue was to commence flying between Brisbane and Darwin in March 2002, but we will see Virgin Blue in Territory skies much earlier, commencing late December this year. The additional capacity is welcomed, coming just before the Christmas season and providing additional capacity to rebuild our travel markets into the New Year.
We need to remember that passenger capacity demands this year are not the same as last year. As all honourable members would acknowledge, the events of 11 September in the United States and the countermeasures by the International Coalition Against Terrorism have changed the face of the world forever. The impact on the aviation industry alone has been enormous and all forecasts indicate a bleak industry outlook over at least the next two years. I read some figures the other day that stated that over 250 000 people worldwide have lost their jobs in the aviation industry since the 11 September terrorist attack.
Without doubt, the world is witnessing an evolutionary period in the aviation industry, where only the strongest and most efficient will survive. This fact is reinforced by prominent analysts who predict significant rationalisation of international airline carriers to as few as 10 within the short to medium term.
Australia’s domestic aviation industry has not been immune to these events. Whilst factors contributing to Ansett’s demise may have been well in train before the terrorist activities of 11 September, the ability to resurrect or reinvent Ansett has been greatly affected. Likewise, the impact has not been spared on regional aviation. Australia is not an island when it comes to the impact on our aviation industry from the affects of international terrorism.
Tourism is the Territory’s second largest revenue earner after the mining industry. In 2000-01, visitors to the Northern Territory accounted for $936m in direct expenditure. Economic activity generated by tourists, the flow-on effect, expands this figure to $1.563bn. The tourism industry is also the Territory’s single largest employer accounting for around 8100 jobs directly, and a further 3500 jobs indirectly. The collapse of Ansett compounded the effect of international events on the airline industry in Australia, and hence on the tourism industry in the Northern Territory. The Territory government has had to take quick and decisive action to counter the disastrous effects of the combined events of that black week in September on our economy.
Under the capable direction of my predecessor, the member for Nhulunbuy, the government began immediate negotiations with airlines to increase air capacity into and out of the Territory. We successfully negotiated with the federal government to permit cabotage arrangements for Malaysia Airlines and Royal Brunei. This short term measure provided an extra 70-100 seats between Darwin and Brisbane and Darwin and Cairns. The government is committed to keeping existing international carriers flying into Darwin wherever possible, and we will work with Darwin Airport and the airline industry to attract further international carriers into the Territory when the international airline industry picks up in the future.
Through constant lobbying of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the federal government finally provided assistance which has facilitated the early arrival of Virgin Blue into the Northern Territory with the first service due into Darwin in late December. I acknowledge and welcome the federal government’s contribution. Virgin Blue is also examining incorporating Alice Springs into a future schedule. I met with senior management of Virgin Blue in Darwin last week to discuss these issues and implore them to put Alice Springs on their schedule and whilst no commitments can be made at this stage, talks are productive and ongoing.
As a result of ongoing lobbying, Qantas announced the introduction of an extra daily B737 service between Darwin and Cairns which will further alleviate the capacity issue between Gove and Cairns. It also announced the re-routing of the Ayers Rock-Sydney Boeing 737 service via Alice Springs for 11 days in December to cater for school and Christmas holiday traffic. The Chairman of the NT Aviation Committee has met with the CEO of Australian Airlines, Qantas’ new low cost carrier, and has a commitment that Darwin is very much on its radar for a possible expanded future service.
Honourable members would be aware that Airnorth had previously been contracted by Ansett to operate services between Darwin and Groote Eylandt. On the day of Ansett’s collapse Anindilyakwa Air stepped in immediately and increased their weekly services over the route from four up to 10, and I applaud them for taking this brave commercial action. Even with this increase in frequency, the route was suffering capacity limitations. This government was able to facilitate Airnorth returning to the route within two days with support from the federal government’s Rapid Route Recovery Scheme.
I understand that Airnorth’s strategy is to consolidate their fleet to aircraft providing 19 or more seats. This means Airnorth is gradually withdrawing from remote community routes where smaller, low-cost base aircraft would operate more efficiently. The unfortunate events of September hastened this resolve, but I am pleased to inform the Assembly that suitable operators have taken up the services. Murin Air takes on Minjalang and Warruwi; Wimray is operating to Bathurst Island, Garden Point and Snake Bay; Anindilyakwa Air picks up Boorooloola, Ngukurr and Numbulwar; and Janami Air services Kalkaringi and Lajamanu. Airnorth continues to operate the centre run through Katherine and Tennant Creek as well as serving Galiwinku, Ramingining and Milingimbi.
I am advised that interstate air freight continues to move well through the Australian Air Express cargo sheds, generally within 12 to 24 hours of acceptance. The occasional delay in clearing the backlog of cargo is more likely attributable to a seasonal glut than the Ansett crisis. In fact, since the end of October, our overall freight capacity for the Territory has increased by 12% - 435.4 tonnes weekly in November compared with 387.05 tonnes weekly in October.
There is no doubt that air services play an integral role in the continued social and economic development of the Northern Territory, a point well made and recognised at the recent Economic Development Summit. This government has heard the concerns of Northern Territorians and the businesses that participated in the summit. The government acknowledges the short-term aviation issue, detailed in the summit Communiqu, that it is important to restore and improve air services to those areas still affected by the demise of Ansett.
The Northern Territory government is doing all it can to maximise the number of seats available into the Territory. However, international tourist demand is the major factor which will influence the number of tourists coming to the Territory in the next 12 months. The Australian Bureau of Statistics releases monthly data on the number of arrivals to Australia. Information for October this year has recently been released. For the 10 months from January to October, total overseas arrivals were marginally higher than the same 10 months to last year. For the month of October, total overseas arrivals were down by 16% compared with October 2000. Overseas arrivals were also lower than during October 1999, but higher than arrivals during October 1998.
Comparing January-October 2001 with the same 10 months in 2000, arrivals from the UK were up 9%. The NT market share is around 20%, that is 20% of those visiting Australia will also visit the NT as part of their trip. Arrivals from USA and Canada were down 4%, the NT market share of this group is 12%. Arrivals from Japan were up 1%, NT market share of this market is around 7%. Arrivals from New Zealand were down 7%, and our market share there is 3%. Comparing the month of October 2001 with the month of October 2000, arrivals from Japan were down 25%, arrivals from USA and Canada were down 22%, arrivals from New Zealand were down 22%, arrivals from the UK were down 5%, and arrivals from Germany were up 7%.
The US terrorist attacks have clearly impacted on both the USA and the Japanese markets. Arrivals from Germany remain strong, although the UK market is weakening. Arrivals from New Zealand dropped dramatically during October 2001 as a result of the Ansett Airlines collapse and uncertainty surrounding Air New Zealand, and have continued the downward trend evidenced since March 2001.
Obviously, in the face of such massive swings in international tourist travel, the tourism industry in the Northern Territory will face tough times in the short to medium term. However, I am pleased to say that in the short period I have been Minister for Tourism I have met with members of the Australian Tourism Export Council in Darwin, with the Central Australian Tourism Industry Association in Alice Springs, and our international representatives from the UK, Germany, USA and Japan to discuss the current state and prospects for tourism industry in the Northern Territory.
I am pleased to say that despite the challenges facing the tourism industry both here and internationally, tourism operators are pulling together cooperatively to work through this lull and to position the industry to take advantage of the Northern Territory’s competitive position in the international tourism market. We are a safe destination. We have great product to sell and we have great people in the tourist industry to sell it.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I thank the new minister for his statement and I welcome it, but I note with interest that it’s headed ‘Aviation Update’ and not ‘Tourism Update’. That is unfortunate given some of the difficulties experienced in the present climate because I, and no doubt other Territorians, would like to hear of the government’s plans for rebuilding and otherwise generally assisting the tourism industry in this particularly sensitive climate.
I note that the minister did not address in his statement the issue of the potential sale of a controlling interest in Virgin Blue. The Lang Corp-Virgin Blue relationship looks as though it might not proceed in respect of the purchase of Ansett. However, of course, that may not be the end of the issue of a sale of a controlling interest. I assume, therefore, that the minister is confident that the possible eventual sale of a 51% share of Virgin Blue will have no adverse consequences to the Northern Territory government’s deal with the airline. It does beg the question: is the government confident that its subsidy deal with Virgin Blue is binding on any potential owner and what, if any, discussions has it had with Virgin Blue in that regard?
The minister’s statement, I am pleased to see, gives credit to the Coalition government for securing Virgin Blue flights to the Territory in late December. I understood that that, in fact, was on the Chief Minister’s agenda following the collapse of Ansett. It leads to the conclusion that either the Chief Minister did nothing towards securing Virgin Blue early or she failed miserably in her attempts. In any event, it took John Anderson and the Coalition government to make it happen. It was the federal Coalition that gave Territorians the opportunity to fly to Brisbane in January and February for less than $250, not the Northern Territory government.
The minister’s statement refers to capacity being almost at the same levels as it was prior to 11 September and prior to the collapse of Ansett. Whilst this does appear to be the case, this is not in any way, as a result of the government’s efforts. Rather, it is the result of the federal government and Qantas filling the gaps.
A significant problem also, interestingly, not touched upon in the statement is the issue of affordability. Of course, if there is no recognition of affordability being a problem, I suppose it is hardly surprising that no answers have been announced or foreshadowed in the minister’s statement. The fact of the matter is that if there is space on a plane - and, happily, that seems to be increasingly the case - many Territorians cannot afford to buy that space because they cannot afford a ticket. I know of many Territory families - and no doubt other members of this House do, as well - who ordinarily fly interstate at Christmas. Now they must drive because they cannot afford the cost of the air fare for them and their family.
This, of course, for all of us in the Territory, limits our time away from the Territory on holidays given the vast distances we all travel. People cannot afford to buy tickets. This problem must be addressed by government. I am saddened that it has not been referred to in the minister’s statement. The bottom line is that the price of travel to and from the Territory after 11 September and after the collapse of Ansett is a sad and sorry story.
I won’t go as far as accusing Qantas of taking an unfair advantage from the demise of its major competitor, but I do not think anyone regards the current air fares as justified. Qantas seems to be constantly at war with the ACCC and I suspect that this will continue in respect of fair pricing.
Territorians, especially, are vulnerable to high air fare prices and, consequently, there is, I believe, an expectation that your government will do something to assist Territorians who travel. What is government doing about offering incentives to the travelling public? The fact that the statement makes no mention of such initiatives suggests that none indeed exist. This is simply not good enough in the current climate.
We all hope that the reconfiguring of the Australian aviation industry will produce more competitive fares and more traveller friendly timetables, but I suspect that many of us are not holding our breath. For my part, I hope that this government does something, in the meantime, and I urge it to do so.
The tourism industry is having a hard time and I am sure that we all agree on that. The minister outlined the declining international arrivals and this is what also needs attention now. Tourists from Japan, the United States and New Zealand account for more than a quarter of our international visitors to the Territory. Arrivals from all of these countries are down by more than 20%, according to the minister’s statement. Arrivals from the United Kingdom have reduced by a much smaller amount, but visitors from the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia account for 30% of the Territory’s international visitors. Air services to the Territory are vital, obviously, but so, too, is a strategy to ensure that we continue to attract visitors from these regions in a tourism market that looks a lot different from what it did only a few months ago.
The traditional methods of attracting visitors may not work as effectively as they did in the past. Does the minister plan to refocus the work of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission to reflect this? Will the Northern Territory Tourist Commission bother marketing the Northern Territory in the United States? Given some reluctance for Americans to travel, the question must be asked: what is government and the Northern Territory Tourist Commission doing to tackle this problem? How will the Northern Territory Tourist Commission restore our visitor numbers from Europe, which is the Territory’s largest overseas market sector?
The Northern Territory Tourist Commission has - and the minister referred to them - overseas representatives in our major markets. These representatives should be allocated additional resources to undertake activities that will work towards getting tourists back to Australia and the Northern Territory.
Of course, it was with horror that I saw in this morning’s mini-budget, a series of cuts to the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. At a particularly sensitive time, who on earth would have imagined that our own Tourist Commission would be cut by this government? To say that I was gob-smacked is an understatement. The fact of the matter is that now, of all times, the Northern Territory Tourist Commission needs an injection of funds, an injection of confidence from this government, so that all Territorians can benefit from the prosperity that tourism has to offer.
International representatives will be the key to measuring consumer attitudes in our major offshore markets, and devising ways to ensure our Territory tourism experience appeals to potential visitors in this new environment is a must. The challenge for the government is to ensure that the Territory is in the forefront of people’s minds - when the world settles down, as we hope it will - so that would-be tourists in Europe and North America consider an overseas holiday.
Our international market shares have been hard won over many years. We do not want to see our competitor destinations steal the march on us when the international travel market rebounds, as we all hope it will. May I repeat in conclusion my dismay at the cutting of funding to the Northern Territory Tourist Commission and say that it is a truly extraordinary step to have taken in the present climate, and will cause those in the tourism industry to question the government’s commitment to that industry, as they well should.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my colleague the Minister for Tourism and his statement today because it is a further illustration of just how quickly this industry changes around us. Each of us would know that both in Australia and internationally, that upheaval resulting from a number of factors in the international aviation world continues.
Well-established long term operators such as Swiss Air and our own Ansett are proof that absolutely nothing in the industry can be taken for granted. Put simply, it is a high cost and high financial risk industry in which this government is not prepared to become a direct participant. It is an industry where new players are seeking to enter and established players are leaving or, alternatively, reducing services and focussing on cost reductions and maximising usage of expensive assets. It is an industry where the status quo is being overturned. While some in the industry were aware of the difficulties confronting Ansett, none would have ventured to suggest that 10 weeks after the collapse of Ansett, proposals for Virgin Blue and Lang Corporation to be considering operations to take over some of Ansett were a serious option.
I agree with my colleague that air services break down the tyranny of distance and isolation factors that all Territorians face on a daily basis are a critical concern for us all. I know from my own experience, both as a regular traveller to Darwin, and in the short time as Minister for Tourism, exactly how large an impact they have on Territorians, tourists and our economy. So I support the efforts of the current minister and I thank him for his acknowledgement of the actions taken during my time as minister.
I am pleased that the measures taken by both this government, Qantas, Airnorth, and the Commonwealth government have restored capacity, despite the loss of nearly 43% of that capacity with the loss of Ansett. It is pleasing to note that 10 weeks after Ansett ceased serving the Territory, air services are meeting demand in the market place. It says much about the way the government has dealt with the issue. Darwin has seen a full reinstatement of direct interstate passenger capacity, Alice Springs will have approximately 95% capacity compared with December 2000 demand by December this year, Ayers Rock has close to 95% and Gove approximately 90%.
The Gove situation was of concern to me as local member, as it was to community business and this government, given the limited road access and location. I again express my support and confidence for Airnorth’s effort. I want to recognise the involvement and assistance of the former member for Blain, Barry Coulter, who is on the board of Airnorth, and came to see us with Michael Bridge, the CEO, to talk about establishing this new Airnorth service. Barry is as smooth as ever, but straight down the line when it comes to these sorts of arrangements, and he had a key role in working together with government to support Airnorth. It was an effort that we had to put up, in place of the uninformed and less than helpful public posturing by others of a completely uncosted and unfeasible option. Whilst it is true that the Gove-Cairns sector has suffered unsustainable and low passenger loads, I am advised that usage of the Darwin-Gove-Groote service is increasing and is proving to be viable, and usage of the Darwin-Kununurra-Broome service is also growing.
I agree with my colleague that the Airnorth experience has justified this government’s decision to ask that a route have proven demand and demonstrate a commercial viability before committing substantial funds to service the operation. That shows up in the weakness of the Cairns-Gove link which you can only consider being more than adequately covered by the Qantas BAe 146 service. There simply were no people travelling on that leg, and the last thing we wanted was for Airnorth to suffer significant financial damage by continuing a route that simply was not being supported.
I believe the decision to support Airnorth - it is a Territory operator rather than a Queensland company under control of a liquidator - was correct. The absence of detailed business proposals, the inability to present such proposals to satisfy the requirements of this government or the Commonwealth was further evidence of the deficiencies of that concept. This was the Flight West, or Uncut Diamond, publicity campaign which in the end proved to be an exercise in public and political posturing and opportunism without any real substance at the base of it.
It is, indeed, disappointing - particularly for the staff of Ansett - that the Ansett situation remains unresolved. I do congratulate the Ansett employees and the unions for their perseverance and commitment. I particularly applaud the efforts of one Ms Robyn Winspear because it is indeed true that Ansett employees have been treated shabbily by the original Ansett management and owners. I note the Employee Assistance Services, in conjunction with the Northern Territory Employment and Training Authority, the Australian Services Union and the Transport Workers Union are all working together to develop options for retraining and skills identification to enable those employees to gain further meaningful employment. Like my colleague, I encourage the federal government to make good on the promise to look after the Ansett workers and their families caught up in this tragic corporate failure who stand to lose so much.
It is pleasing to see Virgin Blue will be seen in the Territory skies earlier than originally envisaged. Whilst the additional capacity is welcome, coming just before the Christmas season and providing a capacity to rebuild our travel markets into the new year, it is equally important that it provide a viable, long-term alternative to Qantas, that provides sensible and sustainable price competition. We need to remember that passenger capacity is not the only issue of importance. The availability of sustainable cheaper fairs is also important. At the same time, we have to remember the airlines cannot continue to operate flying empty planes, and we do probably have to adjust some of our expectations and price preferences.
The impact of recent events on tourism is significant, but I congratulate the industry and the officers and staff of the Northern Territory Tourism Commission on their efforts to appeal to a broader market segment, focussing on domestic and local tourists and alternative transport options. It is only by such action that we can mitigate the significant downturn in overseas demand. I pick up the opposition spokesperson’s comments in relation to what the Tourist Commission might be doing in terms of keeping the Northern Territory on the horizon for international visitation.
It is widely acknowledged in the industry that the events of 11 September were probably going to put a damper - if they had stopped there. If they had stopped there on 11 September and everything was resolved the next day, it was probably going to put a damper on international tourism, particularly United States tourists, for a minimum of two years. That does not mean we sit back and wait for two years for it all to come together again and the good times for everyone to enjoy. What it does mean is we have to focus very heavily on Australian domestic tourism in the first instance so that we capture every available dollar of that market. It also means that we do - probably in the medium term - sell Australia as a safe destination because that seems to be one of the driving concerns in the downturn in international aviation. Even given that, it is going to be two years, particularly for the American market, and that two years is probably being added to as we speak by the ongoing Afghanistan situation. Until that is resolved, until you draw a line under it all, I think that the clock starts then in terms of recovery of particularly United States visitation.
I want to acknowledge, also, the efforts of Malaysia Airlines and Royal Brunei. Once the cabotage restriction was removed they provided an extra 70 to 100 seats between Darwin and Brisbane, and Darwin and Cairns. That helped alleviate the impact of the loss of Ansett. The efforts of Qantas in both clearing the stranded Ansett passengers generally at no cost and responding to the need for revised schedules and plane configurations should also be acknowledged. They carried 100 000 passengers for free. If that is not a commitment to Australian aviation, I will go he. 100 000 stranded Ansett passengers, nowhere to go, who had paid up-front for their tickets, there was no money coming back to them, and Qantas as the flag carrier now for Australia, carried that capacity at cost to their own shareholders and their own company.
Whilst that organisation currently receives some criticism, it has shown it has not forgotten its origins. Qantas is not just a brand name of different letters, it really does include and factor in the Northern Territory. I note the efforts of the local manager, Mr Steve Farquhar and his team. It is not a bad selling ploy to hit the southern capitals and the board rooms of Qantas to say: ‘Just remember your name, just remember where the NT in Qantas comes from and what it stands for’. I think Steve Farquhar is to be commended for his efforts on our behalf.
I look forward to the arrival of Australian Airlines, the Qantas new low-cost carrier. I note the commitment that Darwin is indeed on the radar for services likely to commence in 2003. I note and support the comments by my colleague concerning the smaller regional operators and their efforts. Whilst the primary focus has been on the larger national operators, the small commuter operators such as Anindilyakwa Air, Wimray, Murin Air and Janami Air should not be overlooked. They are in the same industry and they face similar issues.
One of the impediments or disadvantages in the aviation sector, particularly in the smaller aviation sector, is they are really reliant back to the US dollar in terms of the aircraft themselves and all the spare parts. As the Australian dollar fluctuates and seems to only ever go downwards against the US, it adds considerable costs to these operators. At a time when we had, a few months ago, fuel prices climbing, that was affecting operating costs on a daily basis, and we had the Australian dollar going backwards against the US. It really does put the squeeze on these operators, and you really have to commend the likes of those smaller companies and Airnorth, considering what they are up against when they are getting squeezed in different directions.
I want to thank, particularly, Mr Tony Mayell, Mr Rod Nelson and their colleagues in the Northern Territory Tourist Commission and the aviation section of the then Department of Transport and Works for their assistance on the Aviation Task Force during my time as minister. Both Tony and Rod stuck to the task right throughout what was a difficult period of time. I am happy to have the opportunity to record my appreciation for their efforts on the Parliamentary Record.
In relation to Tony - an absolute outstanding head of the Tourist Commission over the past five years. It was a great deal of personal sadness, and regret on behalf of government, when I bounced into my office one morning and he was there to tell me that he was resigning and would be working and staying in the position until about mid-January. The Territory does owe Tony Mayell a huge debt of gratitude for the work he has done in the Tourist Commission. As I said, an outstanding director, a great people manager, a great thinker, innovator, creative mind, and able to get the best out of his staff - and very many of them, of course, are in that industry for those very skills, and the Tourist Commission is full of those bright people.
Tony is going to do it tough. He has won the top position for the Australian Tourist Commission based in London. That is about as plumb a posting as the Australian Tourist Commission can deliver. It is a credit to Tony that he has won that job and been head-hunted by the Australian Tourist Commission who well recognised his abilities. He will be there for about three years. In fact, I had a phone call very early in the first couple of days of being Minister for Tourism from a person at the Australian Tourist Commission to tell me that our Mr Mayell is one of the two best in tourism in Australia. So, it was no real surprise to learn some 10 or 12 weeks later that they had, in fact, recruited him and will be basing him in London for three years. He goes with our best wishes, as government, as he certainly would with the best wishes of our predecessors because he enjoyed a close working relationship with the former Minister for Tourism, Mike Reed, over the greater part of that five years. He and his family will be resident there, and we look forward to his return to the Territory as, indeed, would every Territorian because this is his place.
This is a great opportunity for him and we know that, in his time in London as head of the Australian Tourist Commission, there will be one place that will be dear to his heart, that he will be selling as high on the list of destinations to visit, and that is the Northern Territory. I know he will have the interests of Australia at heart because that will be his job. But inside that, any opportunity he has at that level to promote the Northern Territory, I am sure he will be doing that. We look forward to his return in three years. On behalf of all of us in the House, I wish Tony and his family all the best.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I also rise to make a few comments in relation to the statement. Let me begin with sharing with the Leader of Government Business that Tony Mayell’s contribution to the Northern Territory has been extraordinary, and I heard the shadow for tourism also agreeing with that. He pointed out quite correctly that Tony Mayell was an excellent representative of the former administration - as he is to the current administration - and it is a great loss to the Northern Territory. I am sure that the former administration is very proud of appointing him. We have certainly got our money’s worth out of him, and then some more.
I rise to also make some comments in relation to other aspects of aviation in the Northern Territory. I was disappointed, to some degree, that the minister’s statement did not extend itself to another aspect of tourism which is affecting very remote communities in the Northern Territory. This also comes under the transport and work’s portfolio, so I am grateful to see that both ministers are in the House and actively listening to my comments.
My concern arises out of something that has been growing as a problem within my electorate and, as I am fully aware, in other remote electorates in the Northern Territory. That is the problem of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s desire to run Sir Humphrey Appleby’s equivalent of the best run hospital in England, and that was one with no patients. I am starting to get the impression that CASA, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, thinks that the safest civil aviation environment you can create is one with no aeroplanes in the air. I think that they are correct. What I am specifically referring to is the way that the structures of the RPT - or regular passenger transport - systems have been applied, as well as the rules engaging charters and the effect that that has had on the ability for small aircraft operators to provide services into remote communities around the Northern Territory.
Ms Lawrie: To improve safety. Do you get that about CASA?
Mr ELFERINK: I will pick up on the interjection by the member opposite. I am aware that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has as its primary function an issue of safety. However, under the old system which was allowed to be used, there was no air crash involving the environment, which I am about to talk about. I am not criticising government in this, so I ask honourable members to at least give me a chance to start constructing an argument before you start hurling abuse across the room. It would be helpful.
What I am referring to is the environment in which services have been being provided to remote communities - I am sure that the member for Barkly is aware of this issue. Those services, because of the bureaucratic decisions taken by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, are no longer available to many remote communities. As a consequence, many of those remote communities are not enjoying regular mail services and the like. I look forward to the comments by the member for Karama on what she would recommend to improve those mail services to the remote communities in my electorate as well as the remote communities in the other bush electorates in the Northern Territory.
One of the ways that the small air services used to be able to support their community services to remote communities - especially in terms of delivery of mail, which was partly funded by the federal government through the RASSS, or Remote Area Services Subsidy System - was that they were able, at that time, to take passengers. When they would take those passengers, they would take them as tourists and they would travel with the mail planes out to the various communities in the remote areas around Australia. Those communities used to enjoy a regular mail service by virtue of the fact that those passengers actually did a lot more to pay for the flights than the Remote Area Services Subsidy Scheme ever did.
The problem is that, over time, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has decided to view its role much more as that of a policeman rather than a service organisation. That is the position that it used to maintain, and it used to work very well in terms of maintaining safety outcomes in those remote areas. In fact, its safety record is second to none by virtue of the fact that no tourist in that fashion was ever lost as a result of an accident. However, they decided to start applying the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law and as a consequence of that application, the remote area services have been seriously eroded.
An RPT service - or regular passenger transport service - which one of these tourist flights was classified as, needed to land on a strip which was licensed or capable of being licensed. The problem with landing on a licensed strip is that the requirements for licensing are profound and far exceed the $5000 subsidy that it takes to keep one of those strips up to scratch. Indeed, the area around the strip has to be some 80 m wide to allow for the landing of an RPT service. A Cessna 172 is hardly what you would call a huge aircraft and, indeed, its landing length and even its taking off length is less than 80 m. If you were to allow a Cessna 172 to land, you could actually do it across a strip which is 80 m wide. That is technically not entirely correct, because the strip area has to be 80 m wide, not the strip itself.
However, the problem that we have now is that, even under the definition under the current CARs, Civil Aviation Regulations, even a box can be a passenger for the purposes of definition and under the Charter definition, a passenger can be cargo. One of the problems for these remote communities is the way that they order material and as a consequence, even if they were able to fund the movement of mail out without passengers, the truth of the matter is the chances are that, under the current definition system, the boxes and mail packages that they brought along with them would still classify the aircraft as regular passenger transport.
I ask the Northern Territory government, as I asked the former Northern Territory government, to pursue this issue. It is one of extreme frustration for so many communities in my electorate. For argument’s sake, the Docker River community now has to drive into Western Australia to obtain their mail and then return from the Giles strip to the Docker River area. They receive a mail plane, I believe at the moment, once a week. I would be well pleased if the Northern Territory government could, in this time of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s review of its legislative structure, put great pressure on the federal government and on the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to bring about some changes to see an alleviation of these problems, not only for communities in my electorate but remote communities in Labor electorates and in electorates throughout not only the Northern Territory but also in places like New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and northern South Australia.
I do know attached to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure’s portfolio, there is an aviation section. It is not a big section, I believe it is only one individual. However, this person, I understand, is across these issues. I hope that I have done the issues justice in the Chamber here today. But, I would urge the government to give this person a mandate to put together recommendations so that there is a way that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority can redress or revisit the Civil Aviation Regulations, especially now that they are under review, to alleviate this problem.
Aboriginal people who live in these remote communities are often seriously affected by services or the lack of them as they come to those communities. Only so much can be done by road. The current cut-backs on the period contracts for road repairs means that a lot of these remote communities will have damage to vehicles trying to recover this mail by road. I look forward to the minister’s response in relation to this issue, to see if the Northern Territory government can start bringing about some pressure on the federal government to try and resolve this issue. I ask the minister to pay some attention to this in his response here today.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Minister for Business, Industry and Resource Development on his aviation ministerial statement. May I point out that it is appropriate to be titled ‘aviation’, given that it is not just dealing with the topic of tourism; it is also dealing with a very important topic of business freight in and out of the Territory post-11 September, and following the Ansett collapse.
Specifically, I am pleased to say that Australian Air Express continues to move volumes of perishable cargo that greatly exceed the approximate five to seven tonnes they were handling each week immediately prior to Ansett’s collapse. In the last week, indeed, from the 20 to 26 November, 28 tonnes of perishable produce were sent to interstate markets. These latest statistics show that, although seasonality may dictate the type of produce being exported - for example, the mango season is almost over, but rambutans are coming on line. The overall amount of Territory produce moving through the cargo sheds is steady and is not being constrained.
In early September, during one week, 30 tonnes of perishables were air freighted interstate. We are still seeing close to that tonnage moving now. As a matter of interest, the latest exports comprised over 19 tonnes of crabs and seafood; over 5.6 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegies; and more than 3.4 tonnes of flowers. So indeed, the aviation ministerial statement goes to the combined issues in aviation. Aviation involves the movement of people and animals, but also the movement of freight.
On the subject of freight, as the international airline market moves towards rationalisation, I believe the Territory’s position as a producer of high-quality primary produce is of vital concern. Indeed, this government has seen the return of the Australian Air Express freight times to between 12 and 24 hours turnaround in response to requests for freight. To maintain this service helps maintain our import and export position. Once again, our interstate figures are taking on a great deal of importance to our local economy.
We need to build the confidence here in business and I believe that the work that has been done on freight turnaround, post-Ansett collapse, certainly sends clear indications to the business sector that our aviation industry is back and is strong and viable for business.
On the subject of tourism and, indeed, passenger movement, I congratulate the minister for meeting just last week in Darwin with the key management of Virgin Blue. This, quite clearly, indicates that affordability is a key issue. Affordability of air travel is, indeed, a key issue for the Labor Martin government, as it was a key issue for us in opposition. I remind the member for Araluen that it was the Martin government that delivered a deal with Virgin Blue to come to Darwin sooner rather than later. I point out that the previous government, in election mode, misled the Territory public saying that Virgin Blue would be here on December 1. That has patently proven to be a misleading of Territorians. We are working hard to ensure, with the hard work that the minister is doing in consultation with Virgin Blue, to see Virgin Blue arriving in December when the normal exodus of Territorians heading interstate to spend their Christmas holidays usually occurs. I congratulate the minister for his continued work with Virgin Blue, to see them delivering a Christmas service to Territorians.
I have to say that I was surprised by the member for Araluen’s suggestion that a government could have some affect on a pricing policy of a private enterprise. Is the member suggesting that we become involved in some kind of price fixing regime? No, we are indeed an honest government, open and accountable. We work with business in a collaborative fashion to facilitate improved services. We are the government that is delivering Virgin Blue and affordability to Territorians. We are also working on the aim and the hope to see Ansett #2, a version thereof, also resuming air services in the Territory. This is no small matter. It is taken up as a matter of importance by this government, our minister has been pursuing it. Both in terms of the return of air services and the capacities - I will just point out again the capacities. We have a full reinstatement of interstate passenger capacity in Darwin. We have close to 95% of capacity back to Alice Springs; close to 95% of capacity back to Uluru; and about 90% back to Nhulunbuy. We have achieved, through hard work and the dedication of our minister, a dramatic turnaround in capacity to what we suffered post the Ansett collapse. I congratulate the government on its efforts.
Mr VATSKALIS (Transport and Infrastructure): Mr Deputy Speaker, I heard with great interest the comments by the member for Macdonnell regarding the light aircraft and the problems we face out in the bush. We all admit, we all know that the light aircraft are the lifeline of some of the communities up north and in the east and west in the Northern Territory. Light aircraft are used by passengers, by public service staff - they go there to deliver services, to deliver the mail, and also to transport people who require treatment, to the main centres. In my previous life as a public servant, I used light aircraft when I travelled to some of the communities up north - Nhulunbuy, Lake Evella, Maningrida and other areas. I am aware of the problems that some of these communities face, and also I am aware of the problems that some of the small aircraft charter companies face as well, where there are requirements by CASA.
I received a representation by a number of companies. They came to me and discussed with me these issues, and they alerted me to the fact that they face great difficulties because, in a large number of the communities, the airstrips - but also pastoral airstrips - are not up to the standards for transport service. They discussed with me these issues and they advised me that in some cases, communities are not willing to do the necessary work for the simple reason they continue to receive a service. In some of the cases where the airstrip had deteriorated to a great degree, we face the problem that the member for Macdonnell referred to - that they have travel a great distance to pick up their mail and come back to the communities.
The representatives also told me that the communities had not even approached ATSIC for the same reason - they receive their services. But they have reached the stage now that will interrupt the service to these communities. That is going to cause a great distress to communities, because cheques will not be delivered, the mail will not be delivered. But their greatest concern was that 57% of their passengers were passengers who needed to go to regional centres to receive treatment. That is a great problem because some of these people are renal patients and if they stay in the community without receiving treatment, there will be dire consequences.
I am very pleased that the member for Macdonnell pointed out the fact that it does not affect only communities in his electorate, but also affects communities in Labor electorates. I am prepared to work with anybody, together, to achieve something, to approach CASA and request that they review their requirements, or even to work and require the communities or ATSIC or any other funding authority to provide the funds to repair or upgrade the airstrips to the required standards. We will need in excess of $5000 to upgrade some of these airstrips - a lot of money for a small community. I think we will find the solution. The government is going to be the leading authority in this area. We will try to talk to our Commonwealth colleagues, and also to our people here in the Territory, to find the necessary money to upgrade these communities’ airstrip facilities.
I am prepared to work with the member for Macdonnell. I have no problem working with anybody because this is not an issue for political point scoring; it is a matter of life or death for some of these communities and some of these people.
Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank honourable members for their contribution to the statement on the aviation industry update. This was a statement of what is happening in terms of the aviation industry. It was important to bring this statement before the parliament in terms of ongoing updates whilst we face this very difficult time in the national and international aviation markets. At the end of the day, we won’t have a tourism industry at all in the Northern Territory unless we have capacity into the Territory both from interstate and overseas.
I pick up on some of the comments made by the shadow tourism spokesman, saying we should have addressed a lot more of the tourism issues. I am happy to bring tourism issues before the House at another time; but this was an aviation statement. But I will pick up on some of the comments that the honourable member made.
As I said before, in terms of rebuilding the tourism industry, yes, the tourism industry was hit hard. In the short time that I have been in the job and the large numbers of people that I have met from the tourism industry, they are a wonderfully resilient bunch of people and are far more optimistic about the future and their current operations than I believed they would be given the numbers that I have heard. It is a group of people that I am really going to enjoy working with given the creativity, their determination and their willingness to work together, not only with government, but also with the airline industry and the international market place, to rebuild visitation numbers to the Northern Territory. They were certainly much more positive about the future than the shadow tourism minister was.
In respect of the possible sale of 51% of Virgin Blue - this is an issue and is why I will continue to bring regular updates, because this story moves on a daily basis - we currently have a Heads of Agreement with Virgin Blue, not a contract specifically, at this date. The reason for that is that we are negotiating with them to build Alice Springs into the route prior to securing the contract. The Tourist Commission advised me very strongly that Virgin Blue is safe regardless of who the owner is because the market is there. The market is there, it is proven, it is sustainable. Forward bookings for the December service are very strong. There is very much a commercial imperative for whoever the new owners of Virgin Blue are going to be, that they want access into markets where there is the demand, where there is the proven demand, and that is the case here.
Certainly, meeting with one of the head officers of Virgin Blue last week, he was very keen and totally committed to a December start-up date out of Darwin. They have sold down tickets already. Virgin Blue is very much looking to Alice Springs. We are hopeful of a positive announcement in the not too distant future of Virgin Blue’s arrival in Alice Springs.
I have to say that enormous credit goes to my predecessor in this portfolio and the Chief Minister in terms of actually securing Virgin Blue into the Territory market place prior to the Ansett collapse. It has certainly left us in good stead, that we are not talking to them from the position of ground zero. It was a fact that the previous government had been negotiating with Virgin Blue to bring them to the Northern Territory to introduce more competition, to bring down the cost of air fares that are so near and dear to the shadow tourism minister’s heart. But it wasn’t so near and dear to the CLP Tourism Minister’s heart that he could secure a deal with Virgin Blue prior to the election. It was this government that actually did the hard yards to close that deal. We will be reaping the rewards of that deal in terms of Virgin Blue being the most competitive airline in the market. They will put pressure on Qantas and any other operator that comes into this market place on airlines. If we had not secured that deal with Virgin Blue immediately in the first weeks of coming to government, we would have been in a very sorry mess in terms of trying to entice them into the market place. We already had them on the hook and we are going to be reeling them in. It is going to be a great day when that first plane takes off for Brisbane with Territorians on board, reaping the rewards of those cheaper air fares.
Again, pretty churlish comments from the shadow minister earlier saying it was John Anderson, not the NT government who got Virgin Blue here. I remember there was enormous pressure on a daily basis trying to get …
Mr Stirling: Curmudgeonly.
Mr HENDERSON: Curmudgeonly, yes. … a call through to John Anderson. Of course, we could not get a phone call through to John Anderson because the now member for Solomon, Dave Tollner, was on the phone to John Anderson every half an hour arguing for the Flight West proposal. My colleague, the previous Minister for Tourism, could not get through because Tollner was on the phone arguing for the Flight West proposal that never really had wings. It was never really a serious proposal. Certainly, it was a combination of forces and lobbying, not least through the Tourism Industry Task Force in government and Tony Mayell and the minister’s office, to bring the Commonwealth to actually having the Northern Territory on the radar and committing Virgin Blue to get here earlier. I was trying to give praise and not be so condescending about the federal government, but we had to drag them kicking and screaming to the deal.
In terms of the affordability issue, yes. Competition - I thought you guys on the other side of the Chamber, the champions of the free market, would understand that when you have competition in the market place it does affect pricing. The result of losing Ansett out of the market - 43% - of course Qantas had to ramp up services. To ramp up services, they had to go to additional capital expenditure and it takes time to get a return on that investment. I, for one, as the new Minister for Tourism, have great praise for the way that Qantas actually stepped into this market place and kept Territorians flying and kept freight going through very difficult times. They could very easily have not had the Northern Territory on the radar, but they did.
As the previous Tourism Minister stated, Steve Farquhar, from the local office here, led the charge into the Qantas Boardroom to say: ‘Don’t forget the Northern Territory’ and it certainly has paid off. I think it was within about seven to eight weeks of the Ansett collapse, we had about 85% of the capacity back into the Darwin market purely thanks to Qantas. I am going to be standing here as the Minister for Tourism acknowledging the role they have played and will continue to play in terms of air capacity into the Northern Territory. I will continue to work with them to see them grow that further but, of course, recognising we need competition in the marketplace.
That is what Virgin Blue’s going to bring. That is what Qantas have stated, that Australian Airlines, their new low cost carrier, is also looking to come here. Ansett #2, whenever we know who the owners of that airline are going to be, will certainly be breaking the doors down to make sure that the Northern Territory is on the radar. So competition is coming. It will be here as of the end of December and we will start to see a reduction in travel costs as a result of that.
In terms of looking at the tourism impacts, it is difficult for Territorians to get out of the Northern Territory or visitors to come here. Well, certainly, yes, that is the cost and the consequence of the collapse of 43% of your air market and somebody having to ramp up capital costs to get back in to meet that demand. But if the suggestion of the shadow tourism minister is that we should somehow be offering subsidies for Territorians to assist them to fly interstate, as opposed to staying here in the Northern Territory and potentially having a holiday here in the Northern Territory, I am fairly aghast as well. At the end of the day, if we are going to be offering cash subsidies to Territorians so that they can fly interstate for their holidays, well I am sorry, that is not a position that this government is going to be in. We want to encourage Territorians to actually stay here in the Northern Territory and have a holiday here. The market place will provide the cheap fares with the result of Virgin Blue coming here - and potentially Australian Airlines - and Territorians will once again be able to look forward to discount travel and discount tickets.
In terms of the international scene and the fact that we have had to make a reduction to the Tourist Commission budget, that is as a direct consequence, and no area of government activity has been spared the consequence of the profligate and reckless spending of the previous Northern Territory government administrations that have forced this position on us - forced the position on us! The three budgets from 2000 to 2001 underestimated final consumption expenditure by $65-70m a year. So, you guys, if you have a massive printing press out the back there, were going to continue to print money and pretend that you can continue to print money - not borrow money because you have to repay that with interest at some point in the future – but, ‘We will continue to print money and everything will be all right’. Well, I am sorry, this government is not going to go down this path.
This government recognises that, in order to have a fiscally sustainable position so that we can invest in infrastructure that is going to long term build the tourism product here in the Northern Territory, we have to take the tough decisions now. That does coincide with the very fact that there is a significant downturn in the international market in terms of people travelling from overseas. Unless the airline capacity is there, and it has been cut significantly on international routes, it does not matter what the demand is in Germany or Britain, they are not going to be able to get here because of the cuts to international airline capacity, and the fact that the fares are going to go up. We are continuing our marketing efforts in Germany and the UK. There will be no cuts to the marketing budget over there. Those people are doing an absolutely fantastic job and I met with them the other day.
In terms of investing in tourism and actually seeing a return on that investment by growing the product, this budget has seen the transfer of the Tourism Infrastructure Development Fund from the Department of Industries and Business back to the Tourist Commission. So, it is back where it belongs and the Tourist Commission can have access to that funding in terms of investing in infrastructure that is going to give us that long-term benefit in regard to building the product to get more people here to the Northern Territory. Certainly, from my meeting with the CATIA representatives in Alice Springs on the weekend - I, as you do when you come to ministerial office, got an incoming briefing from the department, and this is where some of the savings are going to come from within this government. I was presented with the Northern Territory Tourism Development Masterplan 2000-05. I had a very concise reading of this document on the flight from Darwin to Alice Springs, and thought: ‘This doesn’t look a bad piece of work. There are some plans in here. I wonder how much has actually been implemented. I wonder what sort of strategy the previous government actually put in place to implement the recommendations that came out of this master plan, and all the work in terms of consulting with the tourist industry that came to develop it.’
This is where the rub is, and this is where the previous government was so good in glossy documents and producing the brochures, but never taking the next step to implementation. Talk to the people from CATIA and ask them: ‘How is the Central Australia Tourism Development Plan going?’ It was: ‘Oh, we saw the original masterplan about 18 months ago and we had one meeting, and that is the last we heard of it’. Nothing. Zero. To use the term from the shadow minister for tourism, I was gob-smacked, because it is not a bad piece of work. But there was absolutely no commitment from the previous government to build on that base document and feed it into the budget process to make sure that we actually build and develop the product.
We noticed in the previous sittings that, yes, there was a public commitment from the previous government to build the Mereenie loop road. We come to government, and what is the cash allocation to the project? Zero again. So again, they went out to make the grand announcement: ‘We are going to build the Mereenie loop road …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker. It is a breach of standing orders to mislead this parliament. The member knows full well that there was an allocation of cash to that project.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr HENDERSON: Certainly, an $8m cost, and I, as the Minister for Tourism, am certainly going to be championing this through the budget Cabinet for capital works and road fundings. There was no cash allocation to the Mereenie loop road when we came to budget. The previous government was great on the glossy brochures - and I will get around to the other regional tourist associations and see how they were going with their masterplans that were so wonderfully put together. I am sure that I will find the same thing from the other regional authorities as I had from the Central Australians, that very little is being done.
I have to pay tribute, in terms of the tourism aspects that came out of the Economic Development Summit. The group that met to work on tourism strategies at the Economic Summit and produced a draft paper at the outcome of that summit, have met a further three times and produced a very concise document, that came to me last week, of strategies for a way forward. I will be convening that group with input from Central Australia and make some real commitments that have come from the industry and conduct an audit of activity against the regional development masterplans. But what we can be doing at the moment is actually investing in the product, in the infrastructure, keeping our presence in the international and domestic markets and then, with increased investment in the product and the infrastructure, we will see people flocking back to the Northern Territory.
Picking up on some of the other comments, the member for Macdonnell made some very good points about RPT operators, CASA regulations and the regional airline industry. Those issues did come to me. I remember doorknocking during the recent election and spent about 45 minutes talking with somebody on these very issues. I took the opportunity at the Economic Development Summit to talk to some of the regional airline operators and suggested that they actually come together as a lobby group and meet with the minister to get the concise industry opinion together on those issues.
I am glad that that meeting has taken place. I hope that the regional airlines come together as a concise industry lobby. It is absolutely critical to not only maintaining services into those remote communities, but with the vision of actually building infrastructure product and giving visitors to the Northern Territory an indigenous cultural experience that we actually build airline capacity into the regions. It would be very worthwhile if those groups came together as an official voice for the industry. I am glad that initial meeting has taken place, and I will be working with my colleague responsible for transport to make sure that we take the fight up to Canberra, in terms of the review of CASA legislation. It is important. That review has to take into account the reality of conditions on the ground in remote parts of, not only in the Northern Territory, but of Australia. I am aware of the very critical comments that people in that regional airline industry have made in regards to the very regulatory approach that CASA appears to take, and the very inflexible approach that it appears to take. There are some very real issues there that need to be taken up.
The member for Karama made a lot of good points about airlines not being about people but also about freight and trade. Certainly, there were major concerns, particularly with fresh produce, getting those to markets in Asia and interstate when Ansett collapsed originally, given that they had about 80% of the market share. That has rebuilt. Again, price is an issue. Additional competition is going to help that. In terms of our developing agricultural and fisheries sector, as a government, the issue of freight and the costs of transporting that freight into market places is certainly very much on our agenda. We are working with all of the operators to ensure that we are not restricted to a single carrier having 80% to 90% of freight contracts and capacity because we do not want to be exposed again, in the event that somebody else goes under.
Picking up, again, the comments from the previous Minister for Tourism about Tony Mayell. It is a bad blow to the industry to lose somebody of Tony’s capabilities. I am absolutely certain that the return on investment we will get out of the UK and European markets by having a Territorian with our interests at heart heading up the ATC in that market place, can only be good for the Northern Territory tourist industry. We will certainly be staying in touch with Tony and badgering him to see what he is doing in that market place to not only maximise tourists into the Territory, but also developing that network of contacts amongst the international and the European airline operators, to get them to plug Darwin back into their international schedules as soon as that long haul market picks up.
I would like to thank honourable members for the contribution that they have made to the debate this afternoon. At the end of the day, our tourism industry relies very heavily, in terms of air capacity into the Northern Territory, and we are continuing to work with all potential operators to make sure that the Territory is a profitable destination for them.
Motion agreed to, statement noted.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
It is with regret I inform the house this evening, Mr Brian Bates AM APM, will retire later this year after seven years as Commissioner of Police and Chief Executive Officer, Fire and Emergency Services. Mr Bates’ retirement as Commissioner of the Northern Territory Police Service brings to an end a long and distinguished career of 45 years in law enforcement. He joined the Victoria Police Force in 1957 and, after 13 years, moved into the Commonwealth arena working in drug law enforcement within the Department of Customs, the Narcotics Bureau, and the Australian Federal Police before commencing with the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services in 1994. His loyalty, dedication and contribution to the Australian community have been honoured with both the awarding of the Australian Police Medal and, more recently, a Member of the Order of Australia.
Commissioner Bates has travelled extensively overseas on law enforcement missions which have taken him to Southeast Asia and Middle Eastern countries, North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, China and Outer Mongolia. He has represented Australia at numerous international forums including the United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs and the international criminal police organisation known as Interpol. He chaired the sixth United Nations Meeting of Heads of Narcotics Law Enforcement Agencies; was chair of the Drugs Committee at the 52nd General Assembly Session of Interpol; and was the leader of the Australian delegation to the first United Nations International Regional Drugs Conference. He also led an Australian law enforcement delegation on an official visit to China in 1993.
Commissioner Bates is a graduate of both the Australian Institute of Police Management and of the Police Staff College, Bramshill, in the United Kingdom. Some of the highlights of his time as Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of Fire and Emergency Services include: the instigation of the McAuley Bowe review shortly after his arrival in the Northern Territory in 1994 which involved scrutiny of the budget and financial requirements of the organisation; an increase in the number of sworn Northern Territory Police members from 775 in 1994 to the current 940, which allows the Territory to have the best level of resourcing on a per capita basis than anywhere else in Australia; establishment of the dedicated welfare and chaplaincy function for Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services personnel; a strong focus on custody management and the ongoing upgrade of police cells in order to prevent and reduce the incidence of deaths in custody; development of a tri-service culture where each of the Police, Fire and Emergency Services organisations was given due regard in organisational decision making; the introduction of DNA legislation here in the Northern Territory which was a first in Australia; the construction of the new state-of-the-art forensic science laboratory that opened in October 2001; the expansion of the Aboriginal Community Police Officers scheme from 35 to 51 members; the introduction of the juvenile pre-court diversion initiative; the introduction of training and professional development initiatives; the establishment of a joint emergency services communications centre; the construction of new police and fire stations throughout the Northern Territory including Palmerston, Kulgera, Yulara, Alice Springs Police Station cell complex and the Harts Range Police Station; the purchase of the new Pilatus PC-12 police aircraft; and the introduction of Livescan, the electronic recording of fingerprints. All in all, a truly outstanding contribution to the Northern Territory.
Commissioner Bates is a man of high ideals and expectations. He always demonstrated the highest degree of ethics and professionalism. Many people have experienced another facet of this man’s character; one of compassion and warmth. On numerous occasions, many members and public servants alike have received kind words or letters of support when in times of need. This compassion has always extended to his state counterparts who have received similar support in times of crisis. Mr Bates has devoted nearly 45 years of his life to the community generally and specifically to law enforcement and he is held in high esteem throughout Australia.
An official dinner will be held on 30 November to farewell Commissioner Bates and to thank him for his outstanding contribution to the Territory over the last seven years. Mr Bates and his wife, Margaret, are leaving the Territory to travel around Australia, but will no doubt return at some stage in the future to the Territory, a community to which they have contributed so much and within which they are truly amongst friends. On behalf of the Northern Territory government, I thank Commissioner Bates. I wish he and Margaret an enjoyable and well-deserved retirement.
On a personal level, if I could just add that Commissioner Bates is an outstanding individual. The former minister will attest to this. The one regret I have is coming to government after 11 years in opposition and not sharing more of my time as Police Minister with this individual. The former Police Minister enjoyed most of that seven year working relationship as minister; I had 10 or 12 weeks. An absolute outstanding individual, able to cut to the essence of an issue no matter how complex the brief before him, bring common sense, always integrity, but straight down the line in terms of what the document was and the position that he would be arguing very clearly that government should adopt. So, very sorry at a personal level; enjoyed working with him immensely; looked forward to our meetings and briefings; and always quick to pick up the phone if there was anything at all he thought the minister should know. He goes, again, not just with the best wishes of the Northern Territory government, but certainly on the other side, because they well appreciate the job he did as Police Commissioner over that time. I really must commend the former government for their choice in the first place, because he has been truly an outstanding Commissioner.
I also want to address David Hawkes, the Commissioner for Public Employment, retiring on 19 December. In a career spanning four decades, David has extensive experience in both public and private sectors at the national level in Commonwealth, territory and state jurisdictions. David has had a long association with the Northern Territory, commencing as Deputy Public Service Commissioner in 1980. He has been Commissioner for Public Employment since 1989, and is amongst the longest serving chief executive officers of the Northern Territory public sector. His appointments as Public Service Commissioner in Tasmania and the Northern Territory combine to make him the longest serving Commissioner for Public Employment in Australasia. Prior to joining government, David made significant contributions in the industrial relations arena, and worked as an advocate and Senior Industrial Officer for the ACOA, and the Papua New Guinea Public Service Association. He is considered one of the most successful commissioners to have contributed to the development of the Northern Territory public sector.
His specialist knowledge and skills lie in the areas of industrial relations, organisational change, high level policy development, senior executive training and development, and strategic planning. He has been a regular contributor to the National Institute of Public Administration Journal on major change processes and, since April 1999, he has been project director of the AusAID-funded Public Service Commission Institutional Strengthening Program for the Samoan Public Service. Notably, many acknowledge the non-politicisation of the Northern Territory Public Sector directly attributable to David and his relationship with the government of the day.
It is important to record, that as a consequence of David Hawkes, this has been a period of unprecedented independence for the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment and we will continue to ensure that there is independence for that office.
David’s key achievements as commissioner include securing substantial structural reforms and productivity improvements through the award restructuring process of 1989-91, including the implementation of the Job Evaluation Scheme; development and implementation of unique initiatives in enterprising bargaining, executive contract arrangements and senior executive and middle management development programs; and development, marketing and implementation of one of the more advanced public sector employment and management legislative packages in Australia.
Notwithstanding these achievements have strategically and appreciably impacted on the whole of government, staff will remember David for his open door policy - not only his accessibility, but his approachability; his non-hierarchical style; his willingness to listen and entertain ideas that others had dismissed as too risky or unnecessary; his ability to allow people their freedom to be creative and operate autonomously; and make the tough decisions that come across his desk including performance of CEOs and dealing with very serious disciplinary issues.
There is absolutely no doubt that David Hawkes will be deeply missed and deeply missed in different ways, depending on where people sat within the public sector. I have nothing but the greatest admiration for people working in industrial relations at the level that David Hawkes did for so many years because love him or hate him - I do not care what side of the fence you sit on in terms of the decisions that he has had to make over all of these years - you have to respect him. You just have to respect him for, again, his integrity, but also his strength.
Whoever the government of the day is, in terms of the role that someone like David Hawkes, as Public Service Commissioner, plays, they are the enemy. They are the enemy of the worker because they are never going to please the worker in terms of the industrial relations struggle of the day or the enterprise bargaining agreement, whatever it is. You simply are never going to satisfy everybody in those negotiated, sometimes unnecessarily so, arm struggles. So, I have enormous admiration for David Hawkes for the way he conducted all those arrangements for our predecessors. I was one on the other side of the fence earlier on, who would say he was unnecessarily tough, he was unnecessarily harsh. But again, working with him over that 10 to 12 weeks that I have had the privilege of doing, I have certainly come to respect the man for his efforts and for his endeavours, no more so than through the teachers Enterprise Bargaining Agreement just a couple of months ago and the nurses Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.
I certainly wish David well in retirement. I know that he has other projects in which he will be going to contribute and continue to utilise that experience, expertise and integrity and enjoy the reputation that he has established.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to also pay tribute to Sister Elizabeth Little, to her work in Catholic education in the Northern Territory. Sister Elizabeth Little, one of the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Sisters so long associated with the work of Catholic education in the Territory, leaves Darwin at the end of this year to take up an appointment in the Sisters’ Provincial Administration based at Kensington in Sydney. Sister Elizabeth took up the challenge of teaching and school leadership in Catholic education in the Northern Territory over a quarter of a century ago. She started as principal in 1974 at St Teresa’s on Bathurst Island. Following a short period at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School in Alice Springs, she was appointed Principal of St Paul’s Nightcliff from 1976 to 1983 during the reconstruction of the school after Cyclone Tracy. After a time for more study, Sister Elizabeth was then the foundation Principal of Sacred Heart School, Berrimah from 1986 to 1987. She was then appointed Principal of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Port Keats, staying there for 13 years until the end of the 2000 school year. During 2001, she has worked at the Catholic Education Office, Darwin, coordinating religious education programs in remote community schools.
Over her quarter century of service, Sister Elizabeth has been active in the Northern Territory Principals Association, the Northern Territory Catholic Principals Association and in their national counterparts. She is very well known within and beyond the profession. She enjoys widespread respect for her unflagging commitment to Catholic education, to the development of schooling in the Northern Territory, and to indigenous education. Sister Elizabeth was the recipient of the year 2000 Jim Gallacher award for Principal of the Year from the Australian Council for Education Administration (NT) Inc.
She provided strong leadership during her years as Principal of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School at Port Keats, fostering the growth of junior secondary education at the school. She contributed to and actively supported the training and employment of local people as teachers and supervised and supported the expanding VET programs attached to the school. Her support and guidance in promoting indigenous leadership at the school has been a great contribution to the life of the community and to the growth in confidence of the local people to work in effective partnership. She has made an outstanding contribution to education in the Territory over a quarter of a century. I am sure you will join with me in wishing her well in the challenges ahead of her. She moves to Sydney to work in the Provincial Office of the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Sisters at Kensington.
Helen O’Sullivan was a primary school teacher in New South Wales and the ACT before coming to Darwin to teach at Alawa Primary School in 1975. Between 1975 and 1985, Helen also taught at Tiwi and Wanguri Primary Schools. In 1986, she undertook a Diploma of Education at Darwin Institute of Technology. She returned to Wanguri Primary School for the school year in 1987. She has made a significant contribution to a number of schools through her work as a classroom teacher. She was particularly involved with the wider school community, recognising communication and an holistic approach to health was fundamental in children’s ability to learn. Her commitment to health and drug education is shown in her role as Principal Educator for the Top End Life Education Centre, a position she held for three years.
She has been an active contributor to the development and implementation of curriculum. She was the NT Coordinator for the National School Development and Health Project. She was also the Health Education Project Officer and Investigation/Research Officer in the Curriculum Advisory Support Unit. In 1995, Helen moved to the Schools Policy Branch. There she managed the Partners in Education Unit and successfully redesigned the unit to provide broader and more relevant support to school communities.
Mr Deputy Speaker, there is about another half page of that. There is nothing controversial and I seek leave of the parliament that the balance of those remarks be incorporated.
Leave granted.
Helen also effectively managed the drafting of the 1997 amendments to the Education (College and
School Councils) Regulations. As Executive Officer in the Schools Services division, Helen provided
high level advice and assistance to the minister, CEO and executive on a range of issues affecting
School Services. She also provided professional support to the Deputy Secretary during a major
restructure of the agency.
- During the last three years, Helen has been a Senior Project Officer in the department’s head office.
She has been responsible for designing and facilitating a variety of team initiatives to support a number
of projects. She also successfully designed and managed a range of sensitive projects of high political
and educational impact.
Finally, Helen has made a significant contribution to the work of the School Programs Branch where she
has reviewed and redesigned a number of established programs. Helen’s high level of integrity and
professional work practice will be missed by all who have worked with her.
Mr MALEY (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I take this opportunity to put on the Parliamentary Record an experience which I had about three or four months ago at the Litchfield Bowls Club. I attended there with the member for Nelson and a number of other people and I played my very first game of lawn bowls.
Ms Scrymgour: Great game.
Mr MALEY: Great game, indeed. Under the careful guidance of the President of Litchfield Bowls Club, Joy Beck, I did my very best to keep as many of the bowls on the green and I had such a pleasurable time I went back a second time, only recently, to play the first round of the spring carnival. This time I went with a more experienced person, my dear Mum, and I took my girlfriend, Vanessa Farmer, along for her first game of bowls. I could not persuade my brother to attend and, indeed, I did not see too many of my usual cohorts and friends and the guys that I meet down at the local Noonamah Pub. In any event, it was a great evening. A good time was had by all, and I will certainly be going back. The Rural Bowls Club is an organisation which is growing. I am not sure exactly how many members they have, but there are certainly in excess of 20 or so regular players. They play on Wednesdays and Fridays and it is run, ostensibly, by the president, Joy Beck, with the assistance of her committee.
The electorate of Goyder has one high school, Taminmin High. I am very proud to be the first Taminmin High School student in parliament. After attending the recent Year 12 graduation last Friday and seeing the calibre of young people graduating at that ceremony, I have no doubt that I will not be the last. Kim Rowe is the Principal of the school and by all accounts is doing an excellent job. He certainly takes pride in his work; he has pride in our only rural high school and, probably most importantly, he takes a great deal of pride in the young people who are under his care. At the graduation night, he gave a speech about choices which all the young people who were graduating that night would have to make and, indeed, had made in the previous years at Taminmin High School.
My last year at Taminmin High School was in 1986, and it really sent home the message that time is flying when I had the pleasure of presenting a scholarship from the Taminmin High Old Scholars to a young fellow who was going on to continue his education. For the record, I would like to record into Hansard the names of the graduating class of Taminmin High, the Year 12 graduands for 2001. They are: Karina Archer, Bridgit Curtis, Lou-anne Berryman, Jared Brennan, Michael Briscoe, Hayley Burr, Sharai Dawson, John Fenwick, Christie Green - who is, of course, a well known singer - Jason Holland, Alison Howell, Thomas Jessop, Warren Jakel, Jodie Lee Klatt, Jack Lawrence - he is the young man who received the scholarship that I presented - Esma Rachel Lees, Tina McKenzie, Daniel Mumme, Donna Susan Paradise, Raquel Romano, Robert Taylor, Ross Pedersen, Helen Settele, Vanessa Withnall, Marissa Woods-McKenna, Sheryl Grey, Renee-Lea Higgs, Isaac McLean, Guy Watton, Adam Withers and John Humphris.
I understand that nearly all the graduating class attended the ceremony, and, as soon as it was finished, quite understandably, they disappeared off to their respective formals. I would like to wish these young people the best of luck in future lives and hope that it is everything that they expect it to be. Finally. I wish them, along with the Principal, staff and the students of Taminmin High, a very safe Christmas and happy new year.
On Sunday, just past, 25 November, I travelled to Wagait Beach, the community of Mandorah, and attended a meeting organised by a fellow by the name of Darryl Withnall, of the Residents Action Group. There was a good turn out, some 40 people. The meeting was called so that public support could be tested and their concerns really articulated in public, about an important issue which is affecting all the people who live on Wagait Beach, and that is the water supply shortage. They are still subject to water restrictions. Each household is allowed to consume no more than 4500 litres per week. There are exemptions. If there is a hardship, I understand an exemption can be sought and granted from the council to increase the amount of water a household receives. This is an important issue which needs to be addressed. There is basic infrastructure. A sustainable and regular water supply needs to be looked at seriously by government before Mandorah, Wagait Beach in particular, can develop and grow.
It may come as a surprise to some of the honourable members in this Chamber that Wagait Beach is only located 6 km across the harbour. The people who live at Wagait Beach can see quite clearly the lights of Darwin at night. It is a very short ferry trip across the harbour, and the majority of the people who live there work in town. They travel every morning on the ferry, conduct their business and return that evening. Despite the fact that they live incredibly close to Darwin, they are subject to water restrictions.
Darryl Withnall, the fellow who organised the meeting, did a very good job. It was attended, as I said, by a large number of people, including council representatives. He, off his own bat, had enough common sense to look at some of the options before he got there. He made inquiries of interstate suppliers and contractors and was in a position to give some broad figures of what it would cost to pipe water underneath the harbour. I understand that he has given that material to the Power and Water Authority who are looking at the option and, I assume, will get back to Darryl Withnall as the representative of the Residents Action Group, and the council. Hopefully, if there is a suitable option – I am sure there is – they will put the matter before the minister for his consideration.
What I am asking for tonight, and what I want to put on the record, is that when those options are available and they are put before the minister, they are seriously considered. Indeed, once they are considered, a timeframe can be set in which the matter can be addressed. I cannot put it any higher than that: it is a serious matter. There are people who live there. There are some 40 school children who travel to and from school. There are some large families there and they are subject to water restrictions. It really is quite unacceptable. These people live on town sized blocks; they conduct their business in town, yet they cannot water their lawn, and they do not enjoy the very basic amenities which we take for granted.
There is one other issue which I would like to place on the record, and that is the relocation of power poles on Reedbed Road and Leonino Road in the electorate of Goyder. It is an issue which has raised its head fairly regularly over the past two or three years. The residents, particularly in Leonino Road, are in the process of putting together a petition, and I wholeheartedly support that petition.
I can articulate in precise terms what the problem is: the power poles are located, not dangerously close to the road, they are on the road. The road - and I use that term very loosely - is actually a subdivision which was conducted by the then Commonwealth government some 30 or so years ago. The easements which exist between the properties are, in some situations, as little as 20 m. In this 20 m easement, there is a road, a drain and overhead power lines. What occurred is that, as the place developed, the last thing to go through was, of course, the drain. The second last thing was the road. The first thing that went through was, of course, the power lines. Unfortunately, those power lines, as I said, are not quite in the middle of the road but, certainly, in the first third of it.
It is a matter which is serious. It is a matter which was at the stage of complete resolution when the election was called in terms of a deal being struck between the Litchfield Shire Council and the then government. The member for Nelson, in his former capacity as Litchfield Shire President, certainly had some input into that arrangement, as did the former minister. What I am seeking is that first, the matter be considered by government, be brought to its attention, and secondly, that the original offer that was made by the previous administration be at least matched so that this issue can be resolved once and for all.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory undertakes sterling work on behalf of those in the community who suffer hearing loss. I rise to give formal recognition to those who received awards from the Deafness Association during this year’s Hearing Awareness Week. The following people were recognised by the Deafness Association for their work.
Rachel Kroes - Rachel is a past president of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory and is a life member of the association. Despite a considerable hearing loss, she has used her own brilliant lip-reading ability - and I note that Rachel has many times been awarded top honours in the National Lip-reading Competition run by Better Hearing Australia - to help with the association’s lip-reading classes. She has, for some years, been very successfully running sign language choirs in Darwin to open public occasions, particularly those for disabled people.
Barbara McCarthy - Barbara was voted by the Deafness Association’s committee as the newsreader most easily understood by people with a hearing loss. Lip-reading does not mean purely reading lips, but is concerned with the whole facial expression. One test of lip-reading ability is to cover the speaker’s chin and noting how much comprehension is lost by this alone. With both signers and non-signers, facial expression and body language makes communication so much better. With Barbara, this comes naturally, and long may she keep it that way.
Rosemary Mooney - Rosemary is a founding member of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory. Her daughter, Jacqui, is the current Vice-President of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory, a function she performs most skilfully despite a considerable hearing loss. The Deafness Association is well aware of the enormous influence good parenting has on any child with a hearing loss, and Rosemary’s daughter is a great tribute to both her parents. Rosemary has campaigned vigorously and with success, over the years, for the total communication program of the Stuart Park Primary Hearing Impaired Unit, and is a life member of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory.
Jeanette Scott - Jeanette has worked as an audiologist for 24 years, 12 of which have been spent in the Northern Territory, mainly in community health services. Jeanette is Principal Audiologist in the Department of Health and Community Services. As Principal Audiologist, Jeanette has been closely involved in the development of the Northern Territory Hearing Health Policy, and the development of training programs for Aboriginal health workers. Jeanette has a particular interest in public health and the relationship between hearing health and education. Recently, she chaired the Audiological Society of Australia’s working party on the development of the general guidelines for audiological practice with indigenous Australians. These practical guidelines are a primary and essential step towards improving outcomes for all health professionals working with indigenous Australians. Jeanette has also been on the Menzie’s group working party to develop recommendations for clinical care guidelines on the management of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, which were launched in Sydney on 23 August this year.
Peter Tibbits - Peter was the first person to bring home to the Deafness Association the necessity for an NT Tinnitus Group to match other parts of Australia. In the past, tinnitus has been dismissed as incurable by doctors. However, in the past few years, a new method has been promoted Australiawide: tinnitus retraining therapy, which can help over 90% of severe tinnitus sufferers. Peter has been the mover and shaker in setting up the recently formed NT Tinnitus Group under the auspices of the Deafness Association of the Northern Territory.
Trevor Tschirpig – Trevor, as a member of the Northern Territory Tinnitus Group, approached the Kiwanis Club for a grant to cover the expense of a visit from Adelaide of Judith Boswell, an audiologist specialist in tinnitus retraining therapy. The Deafness Association of the Northern Territory matched the Kiwanis grant, and with the assistance of the Northern Territory government, enough funds were raised for Judith to come to Darwin at the beginning of Hearing Awareness Week. Judith provided training to a range of professions and introduced the public to the benefits of this treatment. We now have practitioners providing this treatment therapy in the Territory, in line with the rest of Australia.
Lee Upton - The importance of understanding employers, for people who lose their hearing, cannot be too strongly emphasised. The psychological effect on people at work who suddenly lose their hearing can be devastating and to have an employer who will do their utmost to accommodate this loss is of vital importance. Lee is one such employer. When an employee suddenly became totally deaf, she received such support from Lee as to significantly minimise the effect. Frequently, employers are far less understanding than Lee, and this award demonstrates the appreciation of the Deafness Association.
Mr ELFERINK (Macdonnell): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to make a couple of comments about a matter that has been quite close to my heart for some time, and that is the issue of the Aboriginal Interpreter Service provided and paid for by the Northern Territory government. I remember, not that long ago, the member for Nhulunbuy, who was at that time in opposition, coming to this Chamber and raising on 17 August 1999 a Matter of Public Importance. The debate was started by Mr Speaker reading out the following, and it was a letter addressed to him from the member for Nhulunbuy:
At the parliamentary sittings on 17 August 1999 I intend to raise as a matter of definite public importance: the need
for the Northern Territory government to accept its responsibility to provide an Aboriginal interpreter service along
the lines recommended in the report recently handed down by the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner.
Yours sincerely
Syd Stirling, MLA
There is no interpreter service to assist these people in access to health and legal services.
The importance of interpreter services was outlined by the member for Arafura’s predecessor, Maurice Rioli. I would like to quote from his speech when he spoke in relation to the important needs for interpreter services in the Northern Territory:
My joint submission with the member for Nhulunbuy to the Anti-Discrimination Commission inquiry outlined
my personal experience. An old Tiwi woman whom I knew very well - unfortunately she has passed away - had
her toes removed without her understanding that this was going to occur. In fact, this old lady believed she had
said ‘no’ to such a procedure. Her distress, her disbelief, her pain, was palpable. Nothing could bring back this
woman’s toes. An interpreter service could have prevented the misunderstanding. This in 1999, and this situation
can no longer be allowed to continue.
- The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory submission to the Anti-Discrimination inquiry said:
- The establishment of an Aboriginal interpreter service would help save lives and eventually lead to
better health outcomes, help provide a more equitable access to better and more appropriate
medical treatment. Trained interpreters may assist in providing an improved form of consent for
Aboriginal people because they have a fundamental right to understand what is happening to
themselves and members of their family. Access to a better use of treatment can in turn lead to
significant cost savings to government.
I believe that was an accurate assessment by the then member for Arafura, and I know that this was a matter particularly close to his heart. Indeed, the story that he tells of the poor lady who lost her toes demonstrates it.
In fact, I would suggest that should a person find themselves in a similar circumstance in the modern litigious age, there is a chance that it would not be long before the cost of interpreter service would be lost - or the cost of the interpreter services would be justified - with only two or three cases ending up before the courts. It is with some dismay then that I listened this morning to the Minister for Justice’s comments in relation to a whole-of-government approach to the development of an appropriate and just method of delivering government services, especially in the area of law. Yet what we have here in the minister’s speech this morning, or in this Budget Paper No 2, is actually a cut to the interpreter service, when, in fact, the then Chief Minister - referring back to the MPI in 1999 - projected that it was going to require an increase in funding - in its infancy $1m, and then more. I think that that was still a worthwhile amount of money to spend. Indeed, the Northern Territory government at the time did choose to spend the money, ultimately, and set up an interpreter services.
I urge the Minister for Justice to turn his attention to this issue, in light of the whole-of-government approach that he talked about this morning and bring pressure to bear on his colleagues that the funding for the interpreter service should not be cut, but increased so that the outcomes for traditional people, who are subject of legal proceedings and medical procedures, do not find themselves in the situation where a service that was once provided is suddenly being cut.
This money should be increased, because concur with the former member for Arafura that such services will ultimately save government money. I firmly believe that and I find myself angst-ridden at the decision by the Treasurer to hack into this service. I am sure that deep down, the Minister for Justice must be gagging at the thought of having to cut into this service because I know it is a service that he was fairly passionate about in his time.
Therefore, I urge the Northern Territory government to turn its attention to this issue and revisit the funding allocations that they decided upon for the supply of this service because at the end of the day, one of the major criticisms that were levelled at the Northern Territory government in the past was that failure to fund such a service was, in the long run, going to be a more expensive exercise.
I turn to another issue which was raised with me recently, and I think it is worth mentioning in this House. It is not going to be a criticism of government, but something that I believe government should visit in terms of helping the financial situation in some remote communities. It has arisen out of a situation in a small community in my electorate where a community was in the habit of not registering its vehicles, misunderstanding the law of the Northern Territory. They found themselves with several vehicles that had never travelled out of the community, just travelled in and around the community and were used for odd jobs.
I know that the Northern Territory government is in the habit of providing for pastoral registration, which is a cheaper version for pastoralists who move around on their own land for the purposes of doing the business of running the pastoral property. That form of registration is fairly inexpensive and covers all of the third party personal liabilities in terms of insurance. I would hope that the Northern Territory government would perhaps think it is worthwhile to consider revisiting such a registration system for remote communities where the vehicles that operate in those communities rarely or never leave those communities. Those vehicles, effectively, never get out of second gear, driving around the community.
It seems a bit of a burden to ask a community to register X number of vehicles with full imposts in terms of costs. I am not entirely sure how you would define a remote community and you will run into other small legislative problems, but I think it would be worthwhile visiting the idea of finding a method by which we can provide a system of registration which allows for community vehicles that operate within a particular radius around a community, a cheaper registration option. These communities are often run on a shoestring and the smell of an oily rag. I am often astounded that the communities can achieve as much as they do on their fairly limited budgets. I would like to think that the government is in a position to assist, from time to time, and I think that this is one of those occasions. I will be writing to the minister and suggesting a similar idea to him, because I think it is worth doing – if not worth doing, at least worth following up.
I raise one further issue with the Northern Territory government and that is the Lasseter Highway, which has been the target of certain safety restrictions placed on it in recent time, including the announcement of 110 km/h speed limit along the highway. I understand the importance and the necessity for the management and care of highways in the Northern Territory to make them as safe as possible for all road users including Territorians as well as tourists from other countries.
It was brought to my attention in recent times that the Transport and Works Department had visited pastoral properties along the length of the Lasseter Highway and had made certain comments in relation to access and egress routes from the highway itself. Indeed, there was a very nasty accident on an access and egress route on 31 December 1999 which led to the tragic death of three Central Australians. However, I would ask the minister to turn his attention to the types of routes that he is raising issues with, specifically those access and egress routes which are the responsibility of the Northern Territory government itself in terms of finding gravel and finding access for other purposes that the government has pursued.
I know that the government has created many of these routes along the length of the Lasseter Highway in the past. I would ask that before the government becomes too strong in its concentration on the cattle stations themselves, that they also turn their attention to the routes that they have created over time and either tidy them up of shut them down so that the road may become safer. I know that the pastoralists along the route are concerned about the deaths which have occurred on that road over the years and I am sure that they want to do their bit, but I believe that government should also do its bit in terms of making sure that those routes on and off pastoral properties and other properties are properly maintained so that the best outcomes and the safest outcomes can be obtained for all.
Dr TOYNE (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, you are right up with the times, I see. Before I get into the topic I want to talk about, I would like to respond quickly to the member for Macdonnell regarding the interpreter service. That is before Cabinet at the moment. We had an initial submission earlier on. The cuts that you are talking about are whole-of-government cuts that the mini-budget encompassed. We are looking specifically at the interpreter service with the aim of trying make a greater penetration. That will come back to us in another week or so, and I am sure we will be looking very sympathetically at it.
I would like to talk about the ongoing saga of the Ilparpa Swamp and sewage ponds. For once, I can actually get up and give – with great delight – an optimistic announcement about it. That is that the native title holders have approved immediate construction of a drainage channel to take away the water prior to the worst of the Wet Season to alleviate the problem of mosquitos that has emerged around there. I would like to give great credit to the native title holders. In the negotiations over the last week or so, they have been very cooperative, they have been very anxious to find a resolution on behalf of all people in the area. It is a tribute to them that we have come up with a very quick solution to allow at least an alleviation of the problems that have been caused by the build up of water flowing out of the final treatment ponds. That won’t fix the problem in the long term, but it certainly will give an alleviation to that part of Alice Springs in the short term.
On the long term solution, work is continuing with Phil Anning and his committee. They are currently working on no less than four alternatives for the reuse of that water in various forms of horticulture and agriculture. There is certainly a possibility for small amounts of the water to be piped across to a hydroponic production that already exists there. There is also a possibility that native title holders themselves may get involved in that type of production using the water supply. I was very pleased to hear that there was that active element to the negotiations to say that we may see that the native title holders themselves become commercially active in that sort of operation.
Equally, there are three other sites: one on behalf of indigenous proponents and two others on behalf of would-be developers of agricultural and horticultural projects who are very anxious to talk to Phil Anning and his committee about the use of that water. It is a very good water supply for that type of purpose because it is not only water, but it also has lots of nutrients in it that make it very suitable for things such as fodder production on broad acre agricultural development or orchard based horticulture. I am very confident at this stage that the committee will be presenting some proper formed-up options for Cabinet to have a look at.
Some of those options would involve the proponents of the developments putting up the initial money for the infrastructure. We may find that we can even defer any government expenditure on major infrastructural developments such as pipelines and other infrastructure that might be needed to distribute the water. I am pretty confident we will come up with a good solution. I would welcome input from anyone, both private sector and members of parliament. If you have ideas, put them forward.
We are under a very active process at the moment and we want to fix this in a much smarter way than just simply evaporating water up into the atmosphere and breeding mozzies. We are not far off. I think we will have all the water currently overflowing, drained down into the Todd River flood out. That is in the short term. In the longer term, I think we can get some primary industry activities going additional to what is there at the moment, using that water. It is a very precious resource. The fact that it has been really squandered for so long, in addition to causing the health problems, means it needs fixing and it needs fixing fast.
Dr LIM (Greatorex): Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the member for Stuart for commenting on the Ilparpa Swamp. It is a very positive move. Saving 2000 megalitres of water per year in Alice Springs in the desert is obviously a very strong and positive issue to deal with. If the water can be used productively, I am sure that is going to be very good also. I went to South Australia to look at the sewage treatment plant that they have at Bolivar and how they harvest to water and then use it for horticulture in the northern parts of Adelaide.
While I am on my feet, I would like to draw your attention to the last sittings when I commented that the Labor Party push-polled in the electorate of Greatorex - or perhaps to the exclusion of the other electorates in Central Australia. When I mentioned that, there were vehement interjections by members opposite. You may also recall what I asked was: why did the Labor Party, when they rang constituents in Greatorex, only canvass Greatorex and none of the other seats? Perhaps - and I asked at that time - it was because I was Chinese and therefore the Labor Party thought that it should target me because of that whereas the candidates for the other electorates were Caucasian, Anglo Celtic and a Dutchman. There was quite a remarkable amount of reaction from members opposite.
At a later stage, I was commenting on the minister for education’s statement and, at that time, I spoke about my history as a foreign student coming to Australia as a young teenager to study in schools here, then going on from there to university, and ultimately to becoming a member of parliament. I used the words ‘dominant culture’ and that also evoked a huge response from members opposite. I recall at that time - while I did not mention it in my speech - that the member for Karama, the member for Sanderson and the member for Arafura took great exception to what I had to say and actually left the Chamber. Anyway, be that as it may, obviously there was something that they felt that they should be here to listen to.
Let me bring it back into context. When you talk about the dominant culture, I came here as a racial minority, as an ethnic minority, as a language minority, and I had to learn the language, the culture, how to behave, how to eat with a knife and fork, how to speak properly - I hope I am speaking properly - and how to think in the way that mainstream culture, the dominant culture, the white culture - call it what you may - I had to learn all that. We all in this Chamber had to learn the conduct of this behaviour. If we were, let us take for example, living in China, but having been born in Australia of Anglo Celtic heritage, and you planned to live in China for the rest of your life? Do you not need to learn their culture, their language, their system of government, if you ever want to survive there? The member for Arafura looks at me with a smirk on her face. I mean, no different, I am not being racist here. You had to learn the same things I had to learn about this culture we are in - no different. I actually took exception to the fact that those three members thought I was being racist. That was the farthest thought from my mind and perhaps they were the ones who were racist who could not see the logic behind all that. Maybe that is what it was, that they in their misguided way, felt that they had the monopoly on being fair, being right and being non-racist. Take a few steps back and you might see that there are many, many ways of perceiving the right thing. Members in the Labor Party do not have a monopoly on being right all the time.
What actually upsets me really is that there is the holier-than-thou attitude amongst some of the members and that holier-than-thou attitude is not borne out of real experience. I grant you that the member for Arafura would be truly experienced in cross-cultural matters, that she would have had to learn as she grew up about cross-cultural matters, in a lot more personal way than a white person living in Australia ever could. If you even had an opportunity to live in an Aboriginal community, you would still go in there with the mental attitude that you are not going into a place where you become a minority because, culturally, you came from a dominant group and you are moving into a place – yes, you are a racial minority in a sense of numbers, because you are one of a few in a large group of another race. But you go in there with the mental attitude that you come from the dominant culture. In many ways, you tend not to conform to all the things that are there in the community. That is the big difference.
I used to argue with feminists about the similarities between being an ethnic minority or being a gender minority. Sometimes, there were comments made that women have to wear pants, women have to behave like men in certain circumstances. Now, I do not know whether that is right or wrong, I have not delved into that in any significant way. My thoughts would be that, if you want to succeed in a particular forum, sometimes you need to adopt the behaviour of the group otherwise you get nowhere. You are not heard and you are not seen, and that is the problem. We all really do have to learn about the dominant culture, and that is what I seek your agreement on. Now if you do not, that is fine. I would like to hear your argument why I am wrong, if you think I am wrong.
Dr Burns: Assimilationist.
Dr LIM: Assimilationist? Okay. let’s take the interjection from the member for Johnston: ‘Assimilationist’. What do you want in your life? No more different from what the Member for Arafura wants in her life or what I want from my life. We want the best …
Dr Burns: Assimilationist and reductionist.
Dr LIM: Well, let me come back to assimilation in a little while. We all want nearly the same things. We want good food, a good home, the chance to improve our lives and our childrens lives. Really, that is what it is. Now, whether this race wants …
Ms Scrymgour: Love, love, love. Does that become part of it?
Dr LIM: … all those things that we all want. That is right. Now, you have one race that wants to achieve that; another race wants to achieve that. Ultimately, it is there together. So who is assimilating whom? You guys think about assimilation in a racial way. I am saying: ‘Step back, don’t think about it in a racial way. It is all peoples wanting the same thing, getting there in their own separate ways, but ultimately getting to the same point in history’. So, what is assimilation? No different than if I went into an Aboriginal community and lived there instead of living in white Australia for the last 35 years. What would I be? Would I be assimilated into there or have I been assimilated into Australian culture? Yes! I practice Chinese culture. So where is the assimilation? You have to step back from that and really think twice about your preconceived ideas, your prejudices, yourselves. Really, it is time that you move away from that and think seriously about your …
Members interjecting.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Could all the members, please, not get into a cross-Chamber debate. Address any discourse through the Chair please?
Dr LIM: I am ignoring some of the interjections, Mr Deputy Speaker, as you are well aware, and I intend to continue to speak about that. Members opposite belittle my personal ideology, but I think if they thought about it - especially the Member for Arafura who continues to giggle throughout my speech - she had to learn. She had to study, she had to learn and if she did not, she would not be here today. She would not. That is the issue I am trying to make, that we all have to learn what this country has to offer, grasp it with our hands, capitalise with it and then make something from our lives.
That is what Professor Fred Hollows used to say: ‘Don’t lead Aboriginal people into an evolutionary cul-de-sac’. Those were his words and he was talking about people who have some misguided sense of justice to try and save the noble savage, whatever that means. What it is about, is imparting skills to everybody who wishes to learn those skills so that they can use those skills to then determine for themselves how far they achieve in this society. That is important, and that is what I believe all of us have a responsibility to do: to impart those skills that we have to those who do not, to allow them then to decide for themselves what their life is going to be. We talk about self-determination and in control of our own destinies. That is what it is about. We provide them with the skills to achieve whatever they want to achieve. That is what it is, and that was really the context of what I tried to say. I hope members opposite will consider it seriously.
Dr BURNS (Johnston): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight to talk about a number of issues and people in my electorate of Johnston. First of all, Mr John and Mrs Anne McDonough of Hare Street, Moil celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a small gathering of family and friends in my electorate office. I was pleased to present them letters of congratulations from the Chief Minister, the Administrator, the Prime Minister, the then Opposition Leader, Mr Beazley, the Governor-General of Australia, and the Queen. John and Anne McDonough are a wonderful couple and they have had a long involvement with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra. At a recent fund raiser for the DSO, Nan McDonough gave a beautiful recital of the poem The Magnolia Tree.
I was privileged to present a cheque for approximately $7000 to Craig Cousins who is President of the Jingili BMX Club. This grant was to assist the club in upgrading drainage works on the track. I should point out that the club was actually promised $10 000 by the previous government just prior to the election. In fact, they were actually presented with a giant cheque for $10 000 but they only received $3000. Through the efforts of the committee lobbying with the current government, we gave them the balance of that $10 000, which was $7000. I might say, that particular trick really did not earn the previous government a lot of friends with the Jingili BMX Club. They are a great group and they provide a wonderful outlet for youth in the area and it is a great sport for young people.
In terms of Casuarina Senior College, on Saturday, 24 November, together with my wife and daughter, I attended the exhibition held at Brown’s Mart by students studying the Certificate in Art and Design at Casuarina Senior College. I really do have to compliment the school and, in particular, the Principal of Casuarina Senior College, Mr Steve Sjoberg, for his outstanding support of artistic endeavour of the students. It was a wonderful exhibition.
We heard today there have been a few concerns raised in the electorate over the school-based constable issue and I believe that the Deputy Chief Minister addressed that comprehensively in his answer to a question here today. I am very pleased to support that position because school-based constables play a wonderful role within our schools.
In relation to Moil Primary School, Magenta Bennett-Kellman of Higgs Street, Moil, was a Territory winner of the Nestl Write Around Australia competition. It is an incredible achievement because there were 33 000 entries Australia-wide. Magenta had great delight in personally presenting the school with $500 worth of books for the library, and was ecstatic to have won $500 worth of books for herself.
Moil Primary School was abundantly represented at the recent Science Teachers’ Association of the Northern Territory Science Competition. I congratulate the school and the following winners: Rebecca Cass, Mallory McGuinness and Dominique Glass for the Year T3 Investigations; Megan Party for Year T3 Posters; George Rayns for Year T3 Innovations; Mrs Young’s class for Year 4-5 Innovations; Samantha Leung for Year 6-7 Investigation; and Paolo Calvi and James Roberts for Year 6-7 Innovation. These are outstanding results.
Moil Primary School are very sad to be losing the services of long-term Darwin resident Noel Foley, who is a renowned artist. Noel spent three years giving art classes for the students within the Moil Primary School. Noel now has 70 students and will be displaying their work at an exhibition from 28 to30 November. Noel is relocating to Canberra next year and will be sorely missed by the Moil Primary School. Paul’s Pty Ltd presented Moil Primary School with a cheque for $1583.30 for collecting bottle caps. This is well done for a committed effort by the kids at Moil Primary School and a great fundraiser for them.
I would also like to compliment Jenny Glass, who has been chairperson and a member of the Moil School Council for the past two years, and she is leaving. We all wish her well and the best in her endeavours in future. The work contributed by members of school councils is selfless and time-consuming, but has to be done. People taking on these positions are to be congratulated.
Jingili Primary School celebrated 30 years of quality education last week with breakfast and concerts, and photographic displays inviting ex-students to exhibit their photographs in the school collection. I attended these events and I can report that they were great community events. There was a kid’s expo held at Jingili kindergarten on 27 October to celebrate Children’s Week. The expo, which was coordinated by Amanda Bagley, was amazing. Amanda did a fantastic job in bringing together many groups, and the whole event attracted a very big crowd. It was my pleasure to assist with the sausage sizzle on the day.
Wagaman Primary School has had quite a number of events also. At the end of October, Mr Rob Preswell, Principal of Wagaman Primary School, transferred to Jabiru on a temporary basis. Assistant Principal of Anula Primary, Michelle Cody, is now Acting Principal at Wagaman and is impressed with the academic and social standing of the children at the school. I wish both Rob and Michelle the best in their respective new jobs.
Points of interest occurring in the Wagaman school: the parents are working on a marketing brochure to promote Wagaman school, and this will be distributed in December and January; the Multicultural Council of the NT will be conducting their vacation program at Wagaman School during the month of January, and they will be focusing on language and cultural activity; the Wagaman school is in rehearsal mode for the end of year concert, to be held on 12 December; the Wagaman school is to be applauded for the development of intervention programs to improve literacy and numeracy of indigenous students at the school. If I could just compliment the work of Mr Rob Presswell, whom I have known for many years. Rob Presswell is an innovator in education, he has worked in NTETA, he has worked in many different sectors of education. Whichever sector Rob Presswell works in, he always brings a lot of energy and success and innovative ideas. Rob Presswell is a credit to our Northern Territory education system. We are very fortunate to have people of the calibre of Rob Presswell working in our education system. A multi-media network of iMacs in the Wagaman school library has been developed to facilitate enhanced research presentation, and support updating of the Wagaman school website.
On 17 November, the Darwin Youth and Children’s Choir, presented Happiness is When You Sing at the Darwin Entertainment Centre, which was a wonderful display of talent. I commend the wonderful work done by Mrs Emma Tantengco, who lives in Moil, who is the driving force behind this talented group. It was a great pleasure to see the beautiful faces of the children as they sang with so much enjoyment. It is also great to see young people engaged in such creative and positive activities.
Speaking of talent, I was privileged to attend a concert given by Bernadine Crute, who is also a Wagaman resident, and who lives in the Johnston electorate. As we all know, Bernadine has a fantastic talent. She has been accepted to study at the McDonald Performing Arts College in Sydney and I am sure all members wish her well and all the best at this prestigious school. I believe that Bernadine is going to achieve her dream to sing all the way to Broadway. She has a fantastic talent and is a Territory talent through and through.
Hayley Dargan of Yeadon Circuit, Moil, has a dream different to Bernadine. She wants to compete for Australia in the gymnastics at the Olympic Games. On her way to achieving this dream, Hayley has been selected to compete in the Reach for the Stars competition in Canberra next week. Hayley has told me she is getting excited, though a little nervous about going away, especially as it will be her first time in a plane. I wish her all the best in her dream, and in the competition.
I would like to congratulate the president of the Hakka Association of the Northern Territory, Mr John Lay, for the association’s dinner dance held on 3 November. The Hakka society showed my wife and I great hospitality and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Similarly, the Pinoy Association held its fundraiser coordinated by Mr Arsenio de Guzman, on 27 October. I would like to acknowledge the wonderful work the association has achieved over its 11 years, in assisting members of the Filipino community.
I was also pleased to be a part of the Danila Dilba Health Service’s 10th anniversary celebration. The achievements in supporting health improvements, redressing socioeconomic disadvantaged and promoting self-reliance and pride in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Darwin region is to be highly commended.
I attended the Neighbourhood Watch conference that was held on Saturday, 3 November, at the NTU. The conference was well attended and the main business pertained to changes in the constitution - particularly giving the organisation more autonomy - whilst still maintaining the important linkages and support through their long-standing relationship with the NT police. Last Saturday, I also attended the Neighbourhood Watch Christmas party at the Police Training Centre. I would like to congratulate Sergeant Rod Strong, Mr Alf Leonardi and all the Neighbourhood Watch volunteers for the great work they do in our community.
On Friday evening, 23 November, I was invited to give a speech at the valedictory ceremony for international students at the Northern Territory University. The valedictory ceremony was held to recognise efforts and achievements of international students who all return home prior to the official graduation ceremony to be held in May 2002. The students were presented with a stole, designed and made by fashion students of the NTU. Let us hope that, with this token, these students will remember their time in Australia with pleasure. I believe these students will be great ambassadors for the Territory.
On Saturday night, 24 November, along with the member for Blain, I attended the Rotoract Christmas party on behalf of the Chief Minister. Rotaract is a youth group who undertake projects to support the community. Once again, it was a great privilege to meet so many young people who are positive role models for Territory youth. It was also a pleasure to meet many Rotarians who contribute so much to our community.
To complete my adjournment speech here tonight, I would like to acknowledge the presence, here in parliament, of my son, David Burns. David is graduating from the RAAF as an officer at the end of this year, and certainly his mother and I are very proud of him. I think we can all be proud of all the young people in our services, they are ready to serve their country. I am also proud of David because he was a Junior Police Ranger. I know the father of the member opposite, Mr Baldwin, has been a great prime mover in that particular youth organisation. We are very grateful, as a family, that our son was able to participate in the Junior Police Rangers. It certainly equipped him well to enter the armed services.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak today about a long-term Territorian who passed away last week and was buried this morning at the Thorak Cemetery. I acknowledge the assistance of Jan and Wal Tracy for the following story.
This long-term Territorian was Clem Benson, and for those who have been involved in the horticultural industry in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, his name will bring fond memories.
Clem was born in Maryland, New South Wales, in March 1924. He enlisted in the army at 16 and was stationed in Darwin. He served with the Darwin Infantry Battalion and survived the Japanese air raids during 1942 to be drafted into the 2/3 Independent Company. He then joined the Commandos and served in New Guinea and Borneo. Whilst serving in New Guinea, he was wounded during the defence of Wau, and then evacuated to the mainland. On recovery, he saw action in New Guinea before the war ended. After the war, Clem went farming in Burrawang, New South Wales.
He and his wife, Betty, had two girls, Libby and Di and, in 1959, sold their property and Clem came back for another look at Darwin. He had seen an advertisement for a technical officer with Primary Industries at Berrimah. The family decided ‘This is it’, and bought a house in Gregory Street at Fannie Bay. Clem then started working for the department, mainly occupied with vegetable growing. He was instrumental in introducing new vegetable and mango varieties to the Territory. He was once described as the grandfather of the mango industry.
For much of the time, he was the only horticulturist with Primary Industries, and he covered the entire Northern Territory - commercial farms, pastoral station gardens, Aboriginal settlement gardens, and conducting the full range of research, extension and development projects. That is where I met him. I was a fresh young bloke out of Melbourne who had just studied horticultural science, and turned up at Daly River. As I have said to other people, you do not often find bananas growing in Melbourne, so when you come along and, all of a sudden, are confronted with bananas, you wonder what the heck they were. Clem was a bloke who was able to teach me how to cultivate bananas. He also introduced me to sweet potatoes and snake beans, something that, in the early days, nobody ever bothered to look at, especially snake beans. Now you will find them on nearly every table in a Darwin restaurant as a replacement for the southern beans.
He was a pioneer of the Northern Territory horticultural industry, carrying out extensive research into all vegetable species and many tree crops. This would rank him with the Holtzes as a major contributor to scientific knowledge about horticulture production in the Northern Territory. Clem worked closely with pioneering commercial producers in demonstration and extension projects, and was enormously respected. Clem’s contribution to horticulture extended beyond the commercial and scientific areas to the general community. He was a foundation member of the Knuckeys Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary, the Knuckeys Lagoon Recreation Reserve, the NT Palm Society, and the NT Nurseryman’s Association. He was involved with the ABC Gardening program, and - for those who can go back a few years - he used to do what Darryl South does today on Saturday mornings. The Project Garden City Committee had its inception in 1976, which has now become the Garden Spectacular. He was a judge at Royal Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, Fred’s Pass and Adelaide River Shows.
While this was all happening, Clem bought a block of land at Knuckeys Lagoon and completed a house in December 1973. This was replaced after the advent of Cyclone Tracy in December 1974. Clem continued working with the nursery industry and much of that industry’s present success is based on the foundations laid down by Clem. Within government and outside government, he was a tireless advocate of its potential. Clem and Betty were producers and strong supporters of the nursery association. Clem retired from the department in 1981. Nurseries and vegetable growing always remained Clem’s passion in retirement.
Clem made a wonderful contribution to the Territory, not only for his contribution to the horticultural industry, but as a wonderful human being. I know his family will miss him dearly, as he was also a great family man. Perhaps that came from his closeness to nature through his love of gardening, sometimes, an aspect that modern horticulture has lost because of the big-business emphasis on the industry. For me, he was a mentor, an educator, a gentleman and a friend. There is no doubt that when people say that a deceased person is in God’s garden, it is especially true for Clem. I will miss him, may he rest in peace.
Mr BALDWIN (Daly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I want to place on the record my best wishes for a number of those public servants who are retiring, and join with the Police Minister, first and foremost, for wishing Commissioner Brian Bates and his wife all the very best in their retirement. I had the great pleasure of working with Brian on a number of occasions, in all sorts of different situations. He is a great fellow, greatly admired by his co-workers, and one who has brought so much to the Territory. I believe that after Brian and Margaret take a well-deserved break, they are intending to stay here in the Northern Territory, which will be fantastic. I wish him well in his retirement, after serving the Territory community so well for the last seven or so years.
To Mr Bob Beadman, as well, who is retiring very shortly - in fact, in the next couple of weeks. I had many occasions of working with Bob, both as a backbencher and as his responsible minister, and his advice was always good. We did not necessarily agree eye-to-eye sometimes, but that was the great thing about Bob, he would let you know when he had a different opinion. Certainly, always his advice to me was respected, and he had a great respect amongst the people he worked with over so many years. I certainly wish him and his wife all the best in their retirement.
The same goes for David Hawkes, who has, as we have heard, given so much to the Territory public service and the development of the public sector, as the longest-serving commissioner in Australia. So much can be said about the work that David has done, but I think it is fair to say that everybody who dealt with him certainly respected his advice, and his handling of all of those industrial relation and public service issues over so many years. I wish him and his family all the best, as well.
I want to put on the public record my sincere condolences to the Ah Toy family on the passing of Lily Ah Toy recently. I attended the funeral on the weekend - a great service it was too - and well attended, as you would expect for somebody who had given so much to the Territory, with such a well-known family. The eulogy that Laurence gave was, I thought, very fitting about his mother, and told her story in such eloquent words. She will certainly be sadly missed by the family, of course, but by so many other Territorians she touched over very many years. Her contributions have been laid down in the Hansard in this House by the previous Chief Minister, and are good words to read for those who have not had the opportunity. My condolences to the family on the passing of Lily.
The same goes to the family of Clem Benson, as well. Clem has been a stalwart of the rural industry development here in the Northern Territory. He was a well-known fellow, well-known family, and it is sad to see his passing as well.
While I am on my feet, I take the opportunity to give my best wishes to everybody in my electorate. This time of the year, for those who might be new in the House, it is a timely occasion for people to stand up and thank and wish a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year, for those who have assisted them and who make our jobs possible and all those other things. I will do that by, first, thanking all the of staff here in the Legislative Assembly. They obviously are a great help to us, to make this operate. The Clerk and all of the staff here, thank you very much and best wishes for the Christmas period and for the new year. Likewise to the staff of the Leader of the Opposition’s office. They do a great job, as some of you on the other side might know - very limited resources, but do a fantastic job anyway. To all the members here, have a Merry Christmas after this break, and I look forward to seeing you all next year. To all of the constituents of the electorate of Daly, for their support in the recent election, I look forward to working with them over the next 4 years, and wish them well, as well. I remind them that if they are driving, as they will be, a lot of them - being a very big rural electorate - take care on our roads, which are good roads. Nonetheless, take care during that Christmas period.
To my wife and family also, who obviously assist in making my job a lot easier, best wishes to them. Thank you very much and have a very Merry Christmas, you all.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to make comment tonight on some of the very special events that I attended in Alice Springs recently. I was very pleased to be able to visit the Alice Springs Hospital and look at some of the new building works that are going on there.
One of the very special places I visited was the Special Care Nursery. This is where the pre-term babies stay until they are well enough to go home. I was very pleased to be asked to open the Christmas party for those children who commenced their lives in the Special Care Nursery. It has been caring for the special needs of sick and premature infants for over 20 years, but I have to admit that the new facility that has been built is great. I know because recently I visited there, having a brand new granddaughter just born. The care with which those nurses look after those pre-term babes and the general feel that they have - the caring atmosphere is great.
Many of these babies are admitted to the nursery with multiple problems, there is no doubt about that, and are provided with very high-tech intensive and specialised acute health care. These infants and children, in order to achieve their full potential after their discharge from the hospital, need long-term integrated support involving not only health and medical allied services but, more importantly, the support of their families and of course, of our community. The wonderful thing about this Christmas party was the doctors and nurses decided to host this gathering of these babies who were patients at the start of their lives. It was really great to see these little ones come in at different ages and the doctors and nurses greet them and say: ‘Look at you! How much you have grown. How well you are doing’. There was a great affinity there between the people who had cared for these young children and the parents.
The objective of getting them all together was to foster a way for parents and the care givers of these babies to find each other, to share their knowledge and their experiences and share questions and answers that they had in bringing up these very special babies, and to increase the awareness of the special needs of these pre-term infants and children among the policy makers in our community. This was the first of its kind in Central Australia, this particular Christmas party for these special care children, and the staff at the special care nursery were very proud to have taken this initiative. We have to commend them greatly, because they are very busy people within their lives. They were delighted to see so many people turn up.
Yamba turned up with the Bush Fairy as well, and it was great to see the staff, the doctors and the nurses leading everyone in Christmas carols. They had gone to a lot of trouble to fundraise for this particular event and to meet the expenses. I know they hope that it will become an annual event. To see nurses and doctors so dedicated to young children, even after they leave the hospital and their care, was very warm and touching.
Special congratulations must go to Dr Bolisetty for this initiative; to Bronwyn Taylor who MC’ed the whole event; to Martel Dayman who was the parent representative and who spoke very feelingly to all the parents there; to Mick Bell who represented the Hospital Management Board; and the Kiwani Club who were there to help also. And, of course, to all the nurses and doctors and medical staff who gave so freely of their time. It was really a very touching and a great event.
The other special event I attended, and I was very pleased to be able to open, was the 40th birthday celebrations of Ross Park Primary School. I have a long association with Ross Park Primary School. It opened in 1961 and, as a very young person, I taught there in 1962. Graeme and I had left Melbourne. We had gone opal mining at Andamooka, not very successfully, so we badly needed a job. We went to Alice Springs and I was very pleased to be able to get a teaching position at Ross Park. A class of 41 Year 1s and, looking back, it was an absolute piece of cake because I had just left a class of 55 Year 1s in Melbourne, so I thought I was on clover.
I was employed by the South Australian Education Department, who ran all the schools in the Northern Territory at the time, and there was a very set curriculum. Very few frills at all, there was not much time for anything except the things you had to do, the basics. There was also no transition class in the system of South Australia at that time. So 5-year-olds went straight into Year 1. I basically had to teach them how to read, how to write, how to spell, how to do their arithmetic - we didn’t call it maths then - how to count, and all those things. It was hard on our 5-year-olds because we also did not have the preschool system that prepared them for formal learning. But we got there, and I do not know how many young children I have taught to read in my time.
It also was a time when the inspector came into your classes as a teacher, and sat in and watched you teach, and then wrote a report on you. It is something I do not think unions would allow these days, because it was a very nervous time for teachers, when the inspector came. Of course, we all had that old trick, we used to say in class: ‘If you know the answer, put up your right hand. If you do not know the answer, put up your left’. So it looked as though we had a class full of answers, which was great!
Ross Park was considered a very modern school when it was built in 1961, compared to the old Hartley Street School. It had flushing toilets and that was quite something in Alice Springs. There were only about 4000 people in Alice Springs at the time, it was a growing place. Ross Park was a great design and even today, it still holds up to that with single classrooms coming out onto verandahs with a centre quadrangle, which is grassed, and an assembly area. That has stood the test of time, that design, it really has. It has been a school which has enjoyed a very good reputation.
The preparation for the birthday celebrations included a display of photos, newspaper cuttings from back in those days, and memorabilia. This historic account had been put together by the birthday committee and they also used a lot of contributions from a teacher, Mary Blaiklock, who also taught there in 1963. The evening was a great success with many parents and families attending. There was a school concert, the launch of their cookery book, the sale of special bricks for a special wall and a barbecue for families. It was compered by Paul Fitzsimons, a teacher I team taught with in the 1970s at Ross Park. We were quite an innovative school in those days trying out things that were considered quite radical, but these days, of course, are taken as a matter of fact. It was also pleasing to see some of the students I had taught there with their young families, attending that particular celebration.
I must commend the Ross Park staff, the principal, Sue Crowe, and her committee of helpers, the parents who were involved, for a wonderful night. To be able to get together and celebrate a school in the Territory of 40 years of history was really good.
The other particular event I attended was the Trainee Presentation Night. I had the pleasure of presenting some certificates that night. These trainees were all from government departments and I really commend the government and all the departments involved. I hope that next year they will take on more trainees, because it gives those students who leave school all those particular skills they need. It is a credit to the trainees that they all completed their apprenticeships in such a short time and so successfully. They are a very bright group of young people who gave you a feeling of faith in young people today, when you saw them. They had obviously developed a great deal of collegiality and friendship. But, most of all, they were a credit to themselves because they had worked so hard to pass their certificates 1 and 2 in Business Studies. I commended the government departments who had taken on young people and put them through this particular apprenticeship. Special mention must go to Marg Johnson, Judy Parkinson from DCIS for their encouragement and mentoring of the trainees, and to the two lecturers from Central Australia, Emma Wainwright and Melissa Valdez.
I would like to have incorporated the names of the trainees who were presented with those certificates. I seek leave to table this paper.
Leave granted.
- Jamie Coutts Transport and Works
Samantha Braham Territory Health Services
Sarah Davies Department of Industries and Business
Velita Bowey Power and Water Authority
Kylie Bell Lands, Planning and Environment
Erin Dawkins Territory Health Services
Anita Tromp Territory Health Services
Bradley Hewitt Territory Health Services
Gavin McGargill Department of the Chief Minister
Mrs BRAHAM: Thank you for that. I wish all these young trainees all the best in the future. I am quite sure they will be a credit to themselves. Some of them have already managed to find jobs, some are going on to university. I have no doubt those who have not found jobs will be picked up by people who are looking for people with such great skills. I commend the government departments for doing this and hope they continue.
Finally, I need to make comment on a comment made by the member for Greatorex. He has written to me and made an accusation concerning my comments in the House on 23 October. The member for Greatorex has, in fact, misinterpreted my comments. He seems to have misconstrued what I said, and he implied that I said that he read out the names of petitioners when presenting a petition concerning the Salvation Army’s closure of the hostel for homeless men. I said that he tabled the petition and I quote:
- … but before he did, he read through those names on that petition and some of the people were rung up
and abused for signing it.
His interpretation seems to be that I said he read out the names in parliament before he presented the petition, a complete misinterpretation of what I said and, certainly, a misunderstanding because no one ever does that. What the member, though, should be doing, in fact - instead of having another go at me – is ringing up those people and apologising for what happened.
I spoke to one of those people recently and he was appalled and shocked that his signature on this petition was misconstrued as a political action against the CLP. He signed the petition in good faith, as he genuinely believed in what it was saying. Might I add he was also campaigning for the CLP. Anyone who signs a petition should be able to do so without fear of retribution. I have never known before of such an action as this happening, and I hope that such an action never occurs again. As elected members, we are privileged and obliged to represent all people of the Territory. I still consider it an abuse of his position in this parliament to have misused the petition in this way, and I call on him to remedy this action and apologise to all those people affected.
Mr McADAM (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, throughout the Territory there are many people who contribute immensely in their own way. Many of these people work in the background and are not well known in the broader Territory community. Their efforts and commitment to their chosen profession are of immense importance to the Barkly. These people I describe as the unsung heroes. Tonight, I would like to pay tribute to some of these people, as I will in respect of other people who reside in the Barkly, during the course of the next few years.
Jenny Purdie, the present Manager of the Department of Primary Industries, came to the Territory in the late 1960s and worked with the Commonwealth Public Service in Alice Springs and Darwin. Jenny was the first female engaged to work in this field. At that time, all other females were confined to administrative duties. Jenny then transferred to the veterinary unit of the same department and became the first female stock inspector in the Northern Territory. During this period, Jenny studied to become a meat inspector and reviewed the Territory’s meat industry legislation, which was out of date. Jenny then went on to train local meat inspectors when the Commonwealth pulled out their meat inspectors. This training was undertaken by correspondence and reduced from nine years to two. Of the 11 people who undertook training, two were women.
Recently, Jenny has been involved as chairperson of a subcommittee to establish large-scale horticultural ventures in the region, as part of the Barkly Blueprint. Jenny believes that we need to attract established players from interstate who have the capacity to enter into joint arrangements for the indigenous landholders and pastoralists, in respect of land tenure, and have expertise in marketing and the courage to adapt to local conditions concentrating on such products as table grapes, citrus, figs, asparagus, vegetables and stone fruits. Tennant Creek and its surrounds has good soils and ample water supplies, but what is needed is a commitment by government, including ours, to facilitate and drive the horticultural industry between Ti Tree and Katherine. Let us be bold and innovative and allow people like Jenny Purdie, and many other people who reside in the Barkly, their place in developing long-term sustainable industries in the interest of all people in the Territory.
The other person I would like to refer to tonight is Rosemary Plummer. Rosemary is a Warumungu woman, a traditional owner. She was born at a place called Phillip Creek Station about 45 km to the north of Tennant Creek. In 1956, along with other members of her family, Rosemary had to leave and moved into Tennant Creek. Rosemary, at that time, became carer for her brothers and sisters. Like so many indigenous women in the Barkly, she has become a pillar of strength for her people and has been at the forefront of the maintenance of language and culture in the region. Rosemary was one of the foundation members of the Papulu Apparri-Kari Language Centre, a very solid and reputable indigenous organisation which has grown in stature and provides real opportunity for people to be strong and believe in themselves by recording their dreaming stories, contemporary history, and keeping their language and culture strong.
Rosemary has just been awarded a scholarship to record indigenous oral history in the Barkly, a very critical and important step in ensuring that her people’s contribution to the Territory is never lost. Perhaps, for too long, indigenous contribution to this place, both social and economic, has been sanitised and glossed over. I must say, sadly, in some instances for political expediency. The importance of the indigenous contribution, past and present, should never be underestimated. We, as members of this place on both sides, should never again squander or fail to pay due respects to the likes of Rosemary and her family. To do so would demean us and compromise our capacity to fulfil our obligations as decent human beings.
Another person I would like to pay tribute tonight is Linda Sharples. Linda runs a Hair On The Move business in Tennant Creek. Linda was originally from Tasmania and moved to Tennant Creek in the early 1980s. Certainly, it took Linda time to adjust. She has done so with gusto and commitment to the community. The honourable thing about Linda is that she treats all people as equals, and she has an abiding ability to get on with life, no matter what the difficulties. But more importantly, Linda gets things done. This attribute is so precious in the bush. Linda’s motto is: yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift.
In respect of Linda Sharples, I would like to read from a publication entitled Linking Australia which is sponsored by the Department of Transport and Regional Services:
- During my youngest pregnancy, I was alerted to my medical crisis. I had a pap smear, the hospital forgot to tell
me about it. At four months, the hospital decided to ask me who my oncologist was. I had no idea what they were
talking about. I survived the cancer. I did not stop the pregnancy. I returned to Tasmania to a hospital and a
doctor of my choice and I spent seven months there. This medical crisis was a huge thing for me. It made me push
for a Pap Smear Register. I worked behind the scenes making phone calls and writing letters to make sure that this
would never happen again. We have a Pap Smear Register now, but I do not attribute that to me. I can say that
I was pushing quietly and talking to the right people. I asked for the register during the law suit. It was part
of the settlement. I did not want the money; I wanted a register for women. I just kept saying: ‘That is what I want.
I will go national. I will scream if you do not do it’. All of a sudden, a Pap Smear Register appeared.
I read that out because it highlights the capacity of women who live in the bush to do things and not ever to give in.
The other person I would like to refer to is a lady, Sharon Kinraid, who arrived from New Zealand about 12 years ago, stopped over in Tennant Creek and has remained ever since, stamping her persistence and commitment to the community in so many ways. Sharon, along with a number of other dedicated and committed women from the Barkly, visited Beijing in 1995 and came back determined to establish a domestic violence counselling service in Tennant Creek - a service so vitally essential in small towns where excessive alcohol and drug abuse is endemic and, unfortunately, considered by many as part of the community landscape and, in more cases than not, ignored and put in the too hard basket. I will return to this vexed issue a little later on.
Sharon was previously a member of the Chief Minister’s Women’s Advisory Committee where she served with distinction and was never backward in promoting the needs of all women in our region. Sharon is now a councillor on the Tennant Creek Town Council. Again, her vision and drive is evident by developing partnerships for the Yapakurlangu Regional Council and Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation in respect of optimising benefits for all. I would also like to applaud all members of the council for their initiative and, I must say, how things have changed over the years in Tennant Creek. Sharon is presently employed by BRAADAG in Tennant Creek, a very innovative and creative alcohol program which is accessed by people from Alice Springs and Darwin. She, along with Yvan Magnery, her boss, is lobbying for increased funds for their program. As an example, BRAADAG in Tennant Creek operates a 19-bed program on approximately $151 000. Katherine operates the same number of beds on approximately $375 000 per annum, a clear anomaly which I hope the minister for health can address, and I am confident that she will do so.
Previously, I mentioned domestic violence and its impact upon small communities and its resultant impact upon the Territory. Pick up the newspaper any day and you will read of incidents relative to women being bashed. Visit the courts and hear first hand some of the paltry excuses and/or defences espoused by lawyers on behalf of their clients. Many of these perpetrators hide behind the white fella’s law and its legal system, and use grog as a means to justify their attacks on their partners. Condoning such actions, I believe, demeans us as a decent and humane society. It is incumbent upon all of us, on both sides of the House, to bite the bullet and apply a whole-of-government approach to this cancerous blight on the Territory. Accordingly, I would urge the respective ministers to appoint a task force of people with vision, compassion and commitment to address this very serious issue, and then act upon its recommendations without fear or favour. I believe that we should do it because we owe it to people like Sharon Kinraid.
In conclusion, allow me to pay tribute to Bill Baird, the community liaison officer retained by McArthur River Mine in Borroloola. In April this year, Paul Toohey wrote an article, which appeared in The Australian, concerning a young lady by the name of Cecilia Mogarty. Cecilia is 17 years of age and suffers from a hearing deficiency, rendering her almost deaf, which clearly makes it difficult for her to undertake mainstream education in a place like Borroloola, notwithstanding the fact that there is no access to teachers in Borroloola with sign language skills. Bill Baird, and other dedicated teachers, were determined to allow Cecilia the opportunity to undertake further studies in Darwin. Cecilia now attends Darwin High School and boards at St John’s College. Cecilia has a hearing aid, organised by Australian Hearing, in conjunction with Danila Dilba Medical Service. The latest report that I have is that Cecilia is doing exceptionally well.
Bill Baird, backed by his employer, McArthur River Mine, performed a pivotal role in coordinating and negotiating Cecilia’s placement in Darwin, supported by a whole host of organisations and agencies, both government and non-government. Bill continues to support Cecilia as a contact between the family and the agencies in respect to Cecilia’s schooling, and regularly attends progress report meetings in Darwin. Cecilia is only one of many students in the Barkly and, indeed, Borroloola, requiring special needs education. There are a remaining 25 students at Borroloola and Robinson River who require the expertise of a specialist teacher to be appointed and to be based in the region.
Gerry McCarthy, a very dedicated and caring teacher of long standing in the Territory, who is attached to the Aboriginal Hearing Program, estimates that, on any given school day, approximately 80% of the indigenous students suffer from some form of hearing loss - surely a cause for alarm and for immediate action to be implemented. Bill and Gerry, who are committed and compassionate, deserve the appointment of a specialist teacher in Borroloola and I certainly hope that it occurs. I also trust that our government will see fit to assess just how many other students in the bush suffer from these life inhibiting disabilities.
I have addressed these issues tonight because they are just a small example of dedicated people who are doing amazing and inspirational things. It is a testament to them, as people of the Territory, unselfish and striving to make their place, and the Territory, a better place to live. I applaud them.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, there have been a number of opportunities to go back to a lot of my community since our October sittings. I think one of the joys of being elected to a position like this is the personal contact, not only with communities, but also with individuals on the ground in those communities, and I enjoy that most. I have had the opportunity of going back to personally thank everyone, both supporters and everyone in the community.
As we all know, most of our communities are now in preparation for the onset of the wet season, and a lot of these communities and their outstations start becoming inaccessible, both by road and airstrips. Over the next couple of days, I will use this time to highlight the many activities and events, and also people who make a difference in those communities in the Arafura electorate. But, certainly, I want to take this time to look at some of the economic and other activities happening there, and what has happened over the last three months since I have been elected to represent the needs and aspirations of all my constituents.
As I have said before, the Arafura electorate is both complex and diverse. My constituents in this vast electorate are a strong, proud and diverse people, and I will dedicate, tonight, my first adjournment which I have done since this sittings started, to the Tiwi Islands, its people - I am proud to say, my people - and the many great developments happening on the islands.
The first highlight for a lot of the Tiwis has been the recent AFI awards, which saw a young Tiwi man, Sebastian Pulakui, receive his award for best outstanding young actor. This award goes beyond his own achievement, it is one that all Tiwis feel proud of. There are many young men and women out in those communities who are born actors, sportsmen and women who wait to be discovered, just like young Sebastian. All too often, unless it is in direct reference to Australian football - and I am not knocking football, or men - but there is very little, if no mention of success. I am pleased to know that another Tiwi Islander, and a female, Leonie Carpenter, recently became a soccerette in the Australian Women’s Soccer side.
A member: Not to be confused with a cigarette?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: No, soccerette. Please, I am trying to be serious. I will describe very briefly some of the activities happening on the Tiwi Islands, especially in relation to education, training and employment, which is quite a big thing, as well as health.
Education is one of the issues that I feel strongly about. There are currently 47 apprentices employed on the Tiwi Islands. There have been 12 completions over the past three months: six level 3, civil construction - that’s in plant; three level 2, remote area local government; and three level 2, general construction. Apprentices are employed in the fields of baking, general construction, civil construction, remote area local government, essential service operations, office skills, forestry, auto mechanics, and school assistance. Seventeen new apprenticeships are to be signed up in the next four weeks in child care, aged care, essential service operations and fishing.
Training is continuing for the aquaculture fish farming project at Port Hurd. Five new apprentices will be signed up in the fishing operations training program. Also 10 VET - that is, vocational education training - school students are participating in this training, preparing them for future positions on the project. Currently, there are approximately 230 000 barramundi in the sea cages with the first harvest due in March 2002. I am lucky that I am actually being privileged to be flying out on 13 December to have a look at some of the harvesting and what they are doing. Fish are harvested at 3 kg, so approximately 650 tonnes is expected to be harvested. About 2.3 tonnes of 1.2 kg fish will go into Sydney and Melbourne markets this week from Skretting Australia - who has gone into joint venture with the Tiwi people - their first harvest. The fish is not frozen and when held at 4 will have a shelf life of 28 days. I have been told that this is the big advantage of fish out of tropical waters, coming from an ocean at 28. Apparently it extends the shelf life of fish down south. They will usually only keep for four to five days.
The Tiwi Island Training Education Board has agreements with various registered training organisations to provide training. They are: Regency Institute of TAFE; the Central Australian College; Industry Services Training; Seafood Maritime Industries Training; and Bachelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.
The training board has secured ANTA funding of about $350 000 to build a training centre at Nguiu on Bathurst Island and building will commence as soon as the funds are released. The Tiwis held their first graduation ceremony on the 20 June this year. There were 104 graduates on the day, who either completed or partially completed their courses. All the graduates wore gowns designed and printed by the Tiwi. Approximately 250 guests attended the ceremony.
The training board has been funded through the ECEF to conduct a VET schools program on the island for the next 18 months. There are currently 42 students doing VET in School subjects, participating in work placements. Students are studying in areas where they identified pathways for future jobs. It gets away from this, where the most trained people and training does not equate to employment. Hopefully, that will be different with what they are experimenting with on the island. It is hoped that this cohort of students will enter directly into the workforce, and not via CDEP.
The training centre at Pirlangimpi on Melville Island is nearing completion. A welding program commenced on the 28 May this year, and students made up their own work benches and other training aides. They also developed welding skills in aluminium and repaired some boats in the community. The course was completed on 7 September with 6 graduates. A variety of other training continues, including first aid, fire fighting, chainsaw operations, arts and craft, computing, night patrol, health work, driver instruction, four-wheel driving and recovery etc. All training integrates something that is most fundamental to all training, and that is with literacy and numeracy. The vast majority of training is now being conducted on the island in the communities.
A new child-care centre has been built at Nguiu and six Tiwi ladies have commenced training in an apprenticeship in children’s services. Also, a new aged-care centre is being built at Nguiu and five Tiwi ladies have commenced training in an apprenticeship in aged-care studies. A new hospital valued at $2m is due to commence construction at Nguiu in the near future and, when complete, it is hoped that apprenticeships will be offered to Tiwi people in health care.
The forestry project suffered a set-back in August when the parent company, Australian Plantation Timbers, went into voluntary administration. Changes to the taxation laws affected their cash flow and the project was shut down for four weeks. Operations have commenced again. However, the scope of the project has been scaled back considerably. It is expected that the project will pick up again in 2002. Also, good news is that stage one of the new fishing and hunting lodge valued at approximately $10m is due to commence. The money for that has come out of Tiwi revenue and what the land council have raised themselves.
That is basically most of what has happened with the Tiwi Islands. What I would like to put on record, as well as my fellow member for Barkly, as a real issue - and it is hoped that we can work with, and we know that our new minister for health will deal with - the issue of youth suicide, which is something that is constantly swept under the carpet. People hope that it will go away, although it won’t and it is a big issue in some of the communities in the Arafura electorate. It is something that I will be taking up with the health minister because we should no longer push this issue aside. This problem – as the member for Barkly had highlighted with the domestic violence - youth suicide and the issue with our youth, needs to be seriously addressed by both sides of government.
Ms LAWRIE (Karama): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight to pay tribute to the cultural awareness activities that have been undertaken by schools in the electorate of Karama, and bless them. Karama School, which includes primary and preschool-aged children, held a culture day recently on 8 November. The Karama School’s Aboriginal Student’s Support and Parent Awareness Committee (ASSPA) hosted and organised this culture day. The culture day theme, Working Together in Education, was designed specifically to ensure the children could personally experience Aboriginal cultural traditions through practical workshops and activities.
I had the honour of participating in the official opening school assembly along with Larrakia Nation coordinator Calvin Costello, and ATSIC Commissioner Kim Hill. The school’s assembly area was adorned in colourful posters created by the Karama students. It was a wonderful gathering of young Territorians to learn about, and rejoice in, the indigenous culture. After the official opening the school assembly moved over to create a Sea of Flags display on the lawns at the front of the school, and over the duration of the day, participated in cultural activities. These activities included music, dancing, story telling, looking at cultural videos, painting, weaving, design making, friendship bands, role model displays and campfire cooking. There were many different types of food, cooked by indigenous parents at the school for all to enjoy. By far and away, the favourite dishes were crab, fish and goose.
One of the highlights of the day occurred when the preschoolers came over to participate in the cooking, weaving, music and dance workshops. A spur-of-the-moment activity occurred when countrymen, who happened to be walking past the school, decided to come over and see what was happening. They thought it was a lovely indigenous celebration so they joined in the fun and put on an impromptu dance for the children, which all of the staff and the children, I am told, thoroughly enjoyed.
Everyone involved in the culture day put on a fantastic effort. Thanks must be extended to the Principal, Bob Hale, his very able assistant Sherree Ah Sam, who heads up the ASSPA committee, and the hard-working and dedicated members of the ASSPA committee who went to a lot of effort to both organise and run the culture day activities. Importantly, my congratulations also go to the children of the school who enthusiastically participated in the day’s events and, in doing so, gained an enhanced awareness of the wonderful aspects of indigenous culture, at the same time increasing their educational skills, knowledge and experiences.
I have the pleasure of representing the Territory’s most culturally diverse electorate. Indeed, celebrations at Manunda Terrace Primary School on 31 August, reflect our community’s enjoyment of diversity. Manunda Terrace School held an international market day, in which stalls were set up around the school courtyard like a mini-Mindil Beach Markets. The costumes, luncheon, elective program and wonderful entertainers all made for a fantastic day. With 60 guests in attendance, the fashion parade was held at school assembly and fashions were modelled by students, teachers, and parents, and it set the tone for a very colourful day. These fashions included traditional costumes from Japan, India and Indonesia to name just a few, and they provided a beautiful and colourful display. Workshops and activities throughout the day included learning to milk the Dutch cow, west African drumming from Gambia, origami, mask making, face painting, batik painting, Chinese handicrafts, karate, belly dancing, Scottish dancing, and indigenous visitors who spoke about their lives and their culture.
The school’s multicultural resource centre permanently exhibits a wonderful range of interesting cultural items that, over the years, have been donated to the school by students, parents, schools staff and community members. Manunda Terrace School is fortunate to have a diverse multicultural student population. Its Asia in Schools program, with an indigenous language and culture program, has been part of the school’s curriculum for the last eight years. Although all students participate, a specialist teacher maintains a comprehensive study program for Year 6 and Year 7 students. Congratulations are extended to the Principal, staff, the school community and the students for maintaining and encouraging participation in a diverse education program that promotes learning, friendship and harmony.
Further, the third public primary school in the electorate of Karama has also had cause to celebrate its roots. This time, however, it was a birthday party. Indeed, Malak School celebrated its 20th birthday last month on 26 October The Malak School’s 20th birthday celebration was a reunion attended by past and present students, teachers and parents. The celebrations provided a wonderful evening for guests to relax and enjoy a fun-filled time while catching up with old friends and acquaintances. Several hundred people braved Darwin’s notorious build-up weather on a hot and steamy night, but quickly forgot their discomfort once activities got underway with food stalls and a barbecue, face painting by Chantelle the Fairy, balloon modelling, art and craft exhibitions, senior school choir, games and activities, special decorations and a disco ’80s theme.
Mary de Loryn put together an historical photographic display from old photo albums which created much interest. Mary also took photographs on the night for future archiving and birthday celebrations. Some of the highlights of the night included the senior school choir which was in fabulous form and the ’80s disco where young and old danced the night away. A very big birthday cake was demolished by one and all and, just for fun, one of the students jumped out of a makeshift cake to the delight of all in attendance. My thanks for this wonderful celebration are extended to everyone who came along to join the festivities. I extend special thanks to the Malak Schools senior students who assisted in many ways, and to the organisers of the fundraising committee who worked hard to make the event the success that it was.
Mr KIELY (Sanderson): Mr Deputy Speaker, this year saw the start of the new junior football season in the northern suburbs for children under the age of 12. Commencing in early September on Saturday afternoons, more than 300 registered players, from all the electorates in the Darwin northern suburbs, registered to be part of a new parent-run football season incorporating six clubs in clusters of two to three schools. Of these clubs in the suburbs that there were, there was the Blues in Nakara and Alawa; there were the Crows over in Wanguri; the Eagles in Leanyer; the Power in Karama; the Dockers in Jingili, Moil and Wagaman; and the Swans, my side, in Wulagi, Anula and Malak.
Over 12 weeks, up to 30 parents organised and facilitated nine games an afternoon, including fundraising raffles and a canteen serving hot food, drinks and ice cups. Without the help of the junior club coaches taking the time to come and accredit a level 1 coach, and running weekly training, the standard of football played by the children would have been far lower. We should give thanks to the committee and coaches of the Casuarina Junior Football League. I am fortunate enough to be patron of the league. We have great people like Paul Wyatt who is the president, and he has a lot to do with the Swans; Jenny Elliott, who is Treasurer and a good job she is doing - but she is with the Eagles; Gavin Johns who took his Blues to a premiership win in the Under 10s last Saturday; Gareth Lewis with the Eagles; Jeff Clarke with the Dockers; Shane Dignan with the Eagles; Leslie Collins with Power; Mark Kirby does a great job with the Swans, and Peter Clarke also; Leigh Bujunowski with Under 8s at Auskick and Blues; and Paul Kirby with the Under 7s; and the man who coaches my young fellow, Glen Stanford, who does the Under 6 Auskick and Dockers.
The league cannot thrive and get along without the support of its sponsors. Without the support of the sponsors, it would not have been staged as effectively. Sponsorship plays an important part in all Territory fields of sporting endeavour, and it is the sponsors who give our prizes for raffles and carnivals. They discount food and drinks and, in the case of the Casuarina Junior Football League, this all combined to leave the league strong and ready for the 2002 season. Thanks does need to go to the Darwin Frontier Hotel and to Springfield Butchers who not only sponsor, quite well, the sausages and the steak and everything at the games on the Saturday, but they also lend a hand with the normal Neighbourhood Watch - they are a very community-minded business. There is Casuarina Club; Infocus NT; Halkitos Roofing is right behind us; NT Fasteners; General Roofing Products; Insulco; Casuarina Square, a good corporate citizen; the Apex Club of Litchfield; Wastemaster; and Territory Trophies and Engraving. A special thanks must also go to Joel Kelly from the AFL Football Development Foundation, for his efforts in helping the parents establish the Casuarina Junior Football League.
Next year, we are set to see the growth of junior football in the NT, as all the area leagues grow and establish themselves as a viable form of junior sport. The parents have indicated, from conversations with new parents, that they believe that participation rates of players and parents will increase in 2002. We at the CJFL believe this is a good thing, and we look forward to our players being involved in junior community sport. Remember - kids in sport don’t do court!
I would also like to bring to the attention of the House a significant event in the lives of a number of our youth who have graduated from, what I believe to be, one of the finest secondary schools in the Territory. As the local member for Sanderson, it was wonderful to cherish a significant milestone with the students, parents, school counsellors and teachers of Sanderson High School at their recent Year 12 graduation. Year 12 is such an important schooling year and it is important to recognise the support and work of parents, teachers, family members and peers in helping our students throughout the year. Recognition needs also to be given to all those teachers at Sanderson High School who, for years before, prepared the way for this momentous occasion.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the whole school community which is ably led by the Principal, Mrs Denise Wilkowski, and the school council chairperson, Mr Geoff Anstess. Of course, I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of our Year 12 students for the past year’s achievements. I have with me today a list of students of the class of 2001, and the teachers who put so much of their heart and soul into assisting and guiding them during what is, by any measure, both a stressful and rewarding year. I seek leave to incorporate their names in the Hansard.
Leave granted.
Stage 2 Students:
Marife Joy Abril Li Fang
John Anstess JordanLoraine
Tamarra Ashurst Jacqueline McCann
Ryan Ayers Luke McLeod
Richard Baldock Sean Meakin
Kylie Bent Daniel Merrifield
Jessica Black Jennifer-Lee Michels
Natalie Butler Kalotina Mpilias
Daniel Culgan Mark Nicholls
Nathan De Leeuw Danee O’Connor
Benjamin Figg Romel O’Dea
Patricia Galang Dan Dan Shen
Li Gao Karlheins Sohl
Adam Harvey David Stoner
Ay Hassarungsri Katrina Stubbs
Fallon Hintz Kristy Thompson
Cathy Holmes April Tomlin
Kylie Hunter Mandy Tracey
Ryan Ilett Jessica Tucker
- Michelle Immonen Clayton Van
Der Zwaag
Poppy Kantros Matthew Williams
Steven Kunoth Patrick (Xuan) Xie
Jason (Tsy-Chun) Lau Debbie (Xu) Zhang
- Brendan Lee Teddy (Ya Zheng)
Zhang
Stage 2 Teachers:
Kerry Aitken Barry Jonsberg
Carole Belsham Tom McCall
Jon Brewer Val Matthews
Paul Davis Bronwyn Miller
Cheryl Easterbrook Mary Nadarajah
Diana Glover Desley Pidgeon
Jade Hayes Peter Ramsay
Karen Hill Steve Smith
Trevor Hunt Nancy Winchester
Anita Jonsberg
Mr KIELY: There are a number of students who, by their effort, were signalled out for special recognition and I would to mention these people individually. I am proud of their efforts; I believe their parents, teachers and friends of them; and they have every right to be quite proud of themselves.
Most outstanding student of the year was May Leung. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stage 2 achievement award went to John Anstess. Sanderson High School Stage 2 Service Award went to Cathy Holmes. The Northern Territory University Award for outstanding leadership was awarded to Marife Joy Abril and Ay Hassarungsri. Board of Studies award for top overall achiever, Jinzhi Wang. Board of Studies Award for top Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achiever, John Anstess. Accounting award, Cathy Holmes. The Evanne Blyton Memorial Prize for Biology, Danny O’Conner. Caltex Best All-rounder Award, Sean Meakin.
Also within this class of 2001, were people who stood out for putting their personal best in. These are exceptional young people who excelled in their own personal way. These people were Marife Joy Abril, John Anstess, Benjamin Figg, Patricia Galang, Ay Hassrungsri, Fallon Hintz, Cathy Holmes, Eileen Jia, Poppy Kantros, May Leung, Sean Meakin, Daniel Merrifield, Kalotina Mpilias, Danee O’Connor, Jinzhi Wang and Xu Zhang.
In order for us to build a smarter Territory, we need to grow our expertise. I am confident that Sanderson High School is a fertile place for the future of our Territory. I congratulate both students and teachers at Sanderson High School. I wish them all good luck in the coming years.
Mr BONSON (Millner): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the electorate of Millner. I am reliably informed that the electorate of Millner is the second largest in terms of registered voters in the Northern Territory. The electorate covers the suburbs of Millner, Coconut Grove, Ludmilla and the RAAF Base. It also includes the three Aboriginal communities of Kulaluk, Minmirama Park and the Bagot Community. Within the boundaries of the Millner electorate are two important schools of learning: Millner and Ludmilla Primary Schools. St Paul’s Primary, though not within the boundaries, is within the catchment area, which involves parents who live in Millner and send their children to St Paul’s to take advantage of their particular educational sphere.
Why I comment on these three great institutions of learning is best described as a wish to thank and encourage their efforts and their pursuit of the advancement of education. I would like to comment on their ability to recognise the benefit of sport in the teaching of education. I am proud to say that the first Labor government, under Clare Martin, intends to continue and nurture and encourage the ongoing relationship between education and sport in the Northern Territory, Darwin and Millner areas.
One example of the benefits of sport in education is best summarised in a comment from the member for Sanderson: ‘If you play sport, you stay out of court’. I am a great believer in the ancient Chinese tradition of Yin and Yang - body and mind. For the benefit of a healthy mind and body, children will be better prepared to deal with obstacles that they face on their journey of life.
The people I now wish to identify are people who should properly receive credit which is long overdue. I will begin with the Millner Primary School. Under the stewardship of the current Principal, Ron Argoon and his competent administration and teaching staff, the school has been most successful in promoting the benefits of education through sport. Other persons who need specific mention include a famous Millner and football family, the Grant family, in particular Dominic, Nathan and Dion Grant. It also includes Auntie Ruth Grant, who has been a major part of the lives of many young local residents in the Millner area. They have been at the forefront of improvements of attendance through promotion of sports and, therefore, creating real improvements in education.
Finally, Miss Britton. I often wonder if she is a relation of the current Carlton coach Wayne Britton, but I am informed that she isn’t. Miss Britton is the current Millner Primary football coach. The contributions of these personalities have created a positive feeling between parents and children who attend the school, that Millner Primary is going places. This group of people have achieved better attendance rates, improved education and learning and, most importantly, healthy and intelligent children. The Millner school is recognised as the equal top rated school in the Darwin area, in relation to primary schools in football. As Mr Ron Argoon summarised: ‘Millner school was nearly built on football’.
The next school I would like to recognise is the Ludmilla Primary School, which has a proud tradition of football excellence. The Ludmilla school has been proactive in creating a positive image within the community - against a number of obstacles - as a school going forward. With the support of their Principal, Helen Southen and staff, Ludmilla is giving children an opportunity to succeed. Other persons on their staff who have contributed to this achievement includes Ingrid Clarke - mother of the current AFL player Ezra Bray who is involved with the Geelong Football Club - and Donna Minchin, both coaches, water girls, team managers, and general all round fundraisers. These people – from the contributions they have made as human beings - can be best summarised as people who care about their students and the futures of those students.
Also included in this group are two young men I have had quite a lot to do with over the last four or five years, in assisting them with football and life in general, and making sure that they keep focussed in their endeavours as human beings. The official term escapes me at the moment, but they are basically sport and recreation officers at the Ludmilla school, and they are young Damien Zammit and Ben Ah Mat who provide a very important service to the families within the Ludmilla-RAAF base area, very similar to what the Grant boys are doing in Millner. Both these young men come from a great football and sporting family, in particular the Ah Mat clan, who have provided great sporting enjoyment at all levels for all Territorians in many different sports. Damien Zammit states that sport and education are a good mix together; they teach kids to work together and respect each other. Ludmilla Primary School is currently rated as one of the top four schools in the northern suburbs. I was privileged to attend a knock-out carnival in which Ludmilla ended up finishing third in the contest and Millner had a draw in the grand final.
These people have provided a service to the wider community through their efforts to protect and safeguard future Territorians. I would like to inform both schools that I will provide assistance to them in their pursuit of sports in education. In the short time I have been involved with both schools, I can only reiterate that, in my eyes, these people have provided an invaluable service to the community and remain unheralded heroes. I would like to thank this group of people for their efforts, and wish them a very merry festive season and a happy new year.
I am not only interested in football as a vehicle to promote education, but also all sports, whether it is cricket, tennis, softball, netball - any sport that any person can think of. A model that I would like to promote as a guide, not as a blueprint but, certainly, as a guide that we can look at, is the current US college program system, which covers a wide range of sports and which provides student athletes an opportunity to obtain a university or college degree while also participating in high level competition. As with many programs at elite levels in the Northern Territory at the moment - as I have been heavily involved with them - many of the players will not get the opportunity to actually go on and become professional athletes. What they do have is an opportunity to gain an education in a sporting field and, hopefully, they can take that back to their communities and promote sport within their communities.
I would also like to see sport in Australia and, in particular, in the Northern Territory, develop a concept where you do not have to go and become a sporting athlete and be a professional to make a living but, as in the US, you can become an engineer; you can become a doctor, etc. So, it is my dream that students are able to access a college or a university education while competing at highly competitive competition level. It is my dream to promote sports education in universities around Australia. I was lucky, during my university studies, to have the opportunity to represent the University of Western Australia and the Northern Territory University, in both basketball and football at the University Games and other university competitions. That gave me a great opportunity to meet diverse groups of people and be accepted as a person who studied and played sport, and not generally classified as any other type of human being. The people I have spoken about have assisted in promoting this dream and, most importantly, are assisting younger people in obtaining academic and sporting success.
Going back to that Chinese principle about Yin and Yang and being healthy of body and mind, I think it is an underestimated quality in society at the moment. I think the danger is in people placing too much in one or the other - either too much effort into sport or too much effort into academic pursuits. I think that there needs to be a balance between both. Just finishing on that, one of my great sporting heroes was once asked: ‘Muhammad Ali, how do you become great?’ His response was: ‘Don’t look down on those who look up to you’. So, I say to all of those people who are achieving in high levels of sports, do not look down on those people who helped you get there.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016